MASONIC  HOUSEHOLD  LIBRARY. 

VOLUME  I. 


0f 


ITS    COINCIDENCES   WITH    THE 
ANCIENT   MYSTERIES. 


BY 


A.    T.    C.    PIEKSON, 

»i.8T  GRAND  MASTER,  PAST  GRAND  HIGH  PRIEST,  GRAND  CAPTAIN   GEXEB.VL  Of  THS 

GRAND  ENCAMPMENT  OK  THE  U.  8.   OF  A., 
SOVEREIGN   GRAND    INSPECTOR    GENERAL,   33d. 


FOURTH  EDITION. 


NEW  YOEK: 
MASONIC   PUBLISHING   COMPANY, 

432   BROOME    STREET. 
1870. 


H5 


Entered,  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1865,  by 

A.    T.    C.    PIERSON, 
In  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  District  of  Minnesota. 


EDWAKD    O.    JENKINS, 

STEREOTYPER  &  PRINTER, 

No.  20  North  William  Street 


TO  THE 

BRETHREN  OF  THE  MOST  WORSHIPFUL 

THE    GRAND    LODGE    OF   MINNESOTA, 

WHO  FOB 

TEN  SUCCESSIVE  TEARS  HONORED  ME  WITH  THE  GAVEL, 


IS 

FEATEENALLY  DEDICATED, 


TESTIMONIAL    OF    MY    APPRECIATION    OP    THEIE    UNWAVEEQIQ 
CONFIDENCE  AND  UNDEVIATING  KINDNEbS. 


PREFACE. 


IT  is  recorded  of  an  ancient  author,  that  while  apologiz- 
ing for  the  imperfections  of  one  of  his  books,  he  was 
interrupted  by  the  inquiry,  "  Who  asked  you  to  write  it  ?" 
A  similar  question  might  be  propounded  with  reference  to 
the  following  pages ;  as  also,  Where  was  the  material 
obtained  ?  and  why  is  it  published  ?  It  is  proposed 
briefly  to  reply  to  such  queries. 

In  a  varied  and  somewhat  extensive  masonic  experience 
of  twenty  years  and  upward,  the  writer  has  been  in  the 
habit  of  amplifying  the  received  lectures  in  explanation 
of  the  ceremonies  of  the  different  degrees,  and  in  elucida- 
tion of  the  symbols  used,  in  order  more  fully  to  comply 
with  the  first  desire  expressed  by  every  Mason  whom  he 
has  had  the  honor  to  initiate.  Old  and  young  have  fre- 
quently urged  that  some  of  those  explications  should  be 
put  on  paper  that  they  might  become  accessible  to  all. 
The  catechetical  rituals  now  in  use  are  meagre  and  bar- 
ren, containing  no  allusion  to  some  truths  which  are  the 
very  foundation  of  the  system — truths  which  were  first 
taught  in,  and  then  preserved  by,  and  disseminated 
through  the  mystic  associations  of  men — truths  which  all 
men  who  love  God,  their  country  and  their  fellow-men 
must  appreciate. 

Among  the  questions  and  answers  in  the  old  rituals 
were  the  following  :  "  What  is  Freemasonry  ?  The  science 
of  sciences.  Why  so  ?  Because  it  comprehends  within 

(vii) 


Viil  PREFACE. 

itself  that  of  all  others."  These  show  the  opinions  the 
brethren  of  the  fifteenth  and  sixteenth  centuries  enter- 
tained of  the  institution ;  and  if  the  definition  is  correct, 
then  Masonry  is  worth  investigation  by  the  scientific 
mind  ;  but  if  it  contain  nothing  more  than  is  expressed  in 
the  catechism  of  the  day,  if  that  is  all  there  is  in  the  sys 
tern,  it  is  not  worth  the  attention  of  thinking  men.  The 
rituals  are  merely  auxiliaries  in  commencing  the  investiga- 
tion of  the  recondite  mysteries  concealed  in  the  ceremo- 
nies, allegories  and  symbolisms  of  the  craft. 

It  is  claimed  for  Freemasonry  that  it  is  the  most  ancient 
society  in  existence ;  the  proof  is  necessarily  traditional. 
The  archives  of  the  English  Government  furnish  evidences 
of  the  existence  of  a  society  of  Masons  in  the  third  century  ; 
documents  still  in  existence  prove  that  the  institution  of 
Free  Masons  was  well  known  in  1440,  and  none  can  ques- 
tion that  since  the  year  1717  the  society  of  Free  and 
Accepted  Masons  has  attracted  considerable  attention 
throughout  the  world.  Tradition  carries  the  masonic 
association  (not  under  that  name)  back  to  a  period  long 
anterior  to  the  Deluge.  In  confirmation  of  these  traditions 
we  have  the  writings  of  the  ancient  sages,  which,  inde- 
pendent of  Holy  Writ,  aiford  so  many  coincidences  in 
ceremonies,  customs,  usages,  symbols  and  allegories,  be- 
tween the  ancient  mystic  or  religious  associations,  and 
that  which  is  now  termed  Freemasonry,  as  cannot  fail  to 
be  convincing  to  the  candid  inquirer  that  the  claim  to 
antiquity  is  not  fallacious. 

These  traditions  and  coincidences  are  interesting  and 
instructive  to  the  masonic  student,  but  are  not  accessible 
to  the  mass  of  the  brotherhood.  Many  of  them  are  col- 
lated and  presented  in  the  following  pages.  In  doing  this 
extracts  have  been  freely  made  from  all  accessible  sources 
of  information;  among  the  books  consulted  and  from 
which  passages  have  been  selected  are  :  The  Bible  ;  Sale's 


PREFACE.  iX 

Koran  ;  Landseer's  Sabean  Researches  ;  Wai-burton's  Di- 
vine Legation;  The  Patriarchal  Ages,  Hebrew  People 
and  Gentile  Nations,  by  George  Smith ;  Bryant's  Analy- 
sis ;  Cory's  Fragments ;  Calmet's  Dictionary ;  Asiatic 
Researches  ;  Egyptian  Antiquities  ;  Godwyn's  Moses  and 
Aaron  ;  Maurice's  Indian  Antiquities  ;  Dr.  Adam  Clark's 
Commentaries  ;  Jackson's  Chronological  Antiquities  ;  Jo- 
sephus'  Antiquities ;  Niebuhr's  Travels ;  Nineveh  and  its 
Remains  ;  Dr.  Parson's  Remains  of  Japheth  ;  Morrison's 
Religious  History  of  Man ;  Library  of  Entertaining  Knowl- 
edge ;  Book  of  Enoch  ;  Davies'  Druids  ;  Hale's  Analysis  ; 
Theology  of  the  Hindoos ;  Faber's  Pagan  Idolatry ;  Ea- 
rner's Mythology  ;  Antiquities  of  Palmyra  ;  Dean's  Wor- 
ship of  the  Serpent ;  Verstegan's  Restitution  of  Decayed 
Intelligences ;  Bartlett's  Jerusalem ;  Maundrell's  Journey ; 
Wilkinson's  Egypt ;  Faber's  Mysteries  of  the  Cabiri ; 
Brand's  Popular  Antiquities  ;  Max  Muller's  Science  of 
Language ;  Customs  and  Ceremonies  of  the  Jews  ;  Tay- 
lor's Egyptian  Monuments ;  American  Encyclopedia ; 
Encyclopedia  Britannica ;  Fellow's  Ancient  Mysteries ; 
etc.  Among  the  masonic  writings  consulted  and  extracted 
from  are  those  of  Anderson,  Calcott,  Preston,  Dalcho, 
Clavel,  Cole,  Webb,  Cross,  Scott,  Rockwell,  Albert  Pike, 
etc. ;  and  especial  indebtedness  is  acknowledged  to  the 
investigations  of  the  two  greatest  masonic  authors  of  this 
or  any  other  age — Dr.  Oliver,  of  England,  and  Dr.  A.  G. 
Mackey,  of  Charleston,  S.  C. 

The  traditions  and  coincidences  are  arranged  with  refer- 
ence to  their  applicability  to  the  different  degrees  in  the 
American  system.  The  book  is  presented  to  the  public 
in  the  hope  that  Masons  from  its  perusal  will  be  awakened 
to  a  higher  appreciation  of  the  institution,  and  be  induced 
to  investigate  its  claims  as  a  scientific  society  of  known 
antiquity  ;  and  also  the  claim  of  the  writer  that  it  wan  the 
original  religion  of  man  ;  that  those  by  Masons  termed 


X  PREFACE. 

profane,  who  perchance  have  but  little  faith  in  its  useful- 
ness, may  be  convinced  of  the  fallacy  of  their  opinions  ; 
and  that  the  critic  will  candidly  examine  the  evidences 
presented,  with  that  charity  for  the  language  and  style 
to  which  the  desire  to  do  good  is  ever  entitled. 

ST.  PAUL,  MIN.,  January,  .I8&5.  A.  T.   C.   P. 


PERHAPS  a  few  words  in  explanation  of  the  Frontispiece 
may  not  be  amiss. 

The  design  represents  the  front  of  a  mystic  temple — 
the  entrance  is  gained  by  seven  steps — the  entablature 
supported  by  two  columns ;  by  each  column  stands  the 
guardian,  the  one  a  Mason,  the  other  an  Egyptian  Priest, 
lifting  the  veil  which  concealed  the  Great  Mystery,  which 
is  symbolized  by  the  Ineffable  Name,  within  a  delta  sur- 
rounded by  rays.  Within  are  three  groups  of  figures. 
In  the  centre  group  are  three  persons  standing  around  a 
prostrate  figure,  and  holding  masonic  emblems — a  rule,  a 
square  and  a  hiram ;  in  the  right,  the  group  represents  the 
perfidy  of  Typhon,  inclosing  his  brother  Osiris  in  a  box 
(see  page  229) ;  on  the  left  side  are  two  figures  represent- 
ing Cain  and  Abel — the  archetype  of  the  legend  in  all  the 
mysteries  ;  in  front  of  the  entablature  is  the  mystic  cheru- 
bim described  by  Ezekiel,  the  winged  Bull  of  Nimroud, 
which  is  also  found  depicted  in  the  monuments  of  Egypt ; 
an  ancient  altar  on  the  opposite  corner,  and  the  symbol  of 
Fraternity  in  the  centre — figures  of  Hope  and  Charity 
at  the  base  of  the  columns,  with  Faith  in  the  centre  of  the 
entablature;  and  the  emblems — corn,  wine  and  oil — on  each 
side  ;  at  the  foot  of  the  steps  a  grave,  beside  it  lie  certain 
tools — at  the  head  of  the  grave,  the  emblem  of  Immor- 
tality. 


CONTENTS. 


Page 
PEEFACE vii 


EXPLANATION  OF  PLATE. 


CHAPTER  I. 
INTRODUCTION 13 

CHAPTER  II. 
ENTERED  APPEENTICE 2T 

CHAPTER  III. 
ENTERED  APPEENTICE—  Continued 43 

CHAPTER  IV. 
ENTERED  APPRENTICE— Continued...  09 


CHAPTER  V. 
FELLOW  CEAFT 92 

CHAPTER  VI. 
FELLOW  CEAFT—  Continued 113 

CHAPTER  VII. 
MASTEE  MASON 148 

CHAPTER  VIII. 
MASTEE  MA.SON-Ojn*m««rf  . . .  .    1CS 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

Page 
MASTER  MASON-<7on  «;me£ .194 


CHAPTER  X. 

MASTER  MASON— Continued. .. 


CHAPTER  XI. 
MARK  MASTER 249 

CHAPTER  XII. 
PAST  MASTER 279 

CHAPTER  XIII. 
MOST  EXCELLENT  MASTER 299 

CHAPTER  XIV. 
ROYAL  ARCH 315 

CHAPTER  XV. 
ROYAL  ARCH— Continued...  .    829 


CHAPTER  XVI. 
ROYAL  ARCH—  Continued 840 

CHAPTER  XVII. 
ROYAL  ARCH— Continued .    863 


Cntbitioits  0f  Jfmnwsonrii 

AXD 

COINCIDENCES  WITH  THE  MYSTERIES. 


CHAPTER  I. 

INTRODUCTORY . 

WHAT  is  Freemasonry  —  Why  instituted  —  Most  prominent  Facts  incul- 
cated—  Necessarily  traditional  —  Symbols  might  be  perverted  —  He- 
brew estimation  of  their  Traditions  —  Universality  of  Freemasonry  not 
founded  upon  Methods  of  Recognition  —  Possesses  Legends  not  found 
in  Holy  Writ — Masonic  Legends  have  reference  to  sublime  Truths  — 
Tradition  of  the  Delivery  of  the  Oral  Law  to  the  People  —  Interpreta- 
tion not  intrusted  to  Books  —  Symbolic  Coincidences  between  the 
Masonic  Lodge  and  the  City  and  Temple  of  Jerusalem  —  Mosaic  Religion 
a  Ceremony  of  Initiation  —  The  Egyptians  favored  by  the  Hebrews  — 
Traditions  of  Moses;  his  Birth  —  Adoption  by  an  Egyptian  Princess  — 
Educated  by  the  Priests  —  Presented  to  the  King  —  Placed  his  feet 
upon  the  King's  Crown  —  Priests  desire  to  put  him  to  Death  —  Arabian 
Tradition  of  his  Chamber  —  Initiated  into  the  Egyptian  Mysteries — Ap- 
pointed to  the  command  of  the  Egyptian  Army  —  Destroys  the  Serpents 
of  the  Desert  —  Conquers  the  Ethiopians  —  Marries  an  Ethiopian  Prin- 
cess—  His  character  —  Renounces  the  honors  of  the  Egyptian  Court  — 
Slays  an  Egyptian  —  Imprisoned  — Miraculously  escapes  Punishment 
—  Flees  to  Midian  —  Protects  the  Daughters  of  Jethro  —  Becomes  his 
Shepherd  —  Hindoo  Tradition  — Moses  identical  with  Vishnu. 

THE  Order  known  as  Freemasonry  appears  to  haye 
been  instituted  as  a  vehicle  to  preserve  and  transmit  an 
account  of  the  miraculous  dealings  of  the  Most  High 
with  his  people  in  the  infancy  of  the  world  ;  for  at  that 
early  period  Freemasonry  may  be  identified  with  religion. 

The  identity  of  the  Masonic  Institution  with  the 
Ancient  Mysteries  is  obvious  from  the  striking  coinci- 

(13) 


14  TRADITIONS    OF    FREEMASONRY. 

dences  found  to  exist  between  them.  The  latter  were  a 
secret  religious  worship,  and  the  depository  of  religion, 
science  and  art.  Tradition  dates  the  origin  of  the 
mysteries  back  to  the  earliest  period  of  time,  and  makes 
it  coeval  with  the  organization  of  society. 

But  the  order  of  Freemasonry  goes  further  than  did 
the  Ancient  Mysteries  ;  while  it  embodies  all  that  is  valu- 
able in  the  institutions  of  the  past,  it  embraces  within 
its  circle  all  that  is  good  and  true  of  the  present,  and 
thus  becomes  a  conservator  as  well  as  a  depository  of 
religion,  science  and  art. 

The  most  prominent  facts  which  Freemasonry  incul- 
cates, directly  or  by  implication,  are  these  :  That  there  is 
a  God ;  that  he  created  man  and  placed  him  in  a  state 
of  perfect  happiness  in  Paradise ;  that  he  forfeited  this 
supreme  felicity  by  disobedience  to  the  Divine  commands 
at  the  suggestion  of  a  Serpent  Tempter,  and  was  expelled 
from  the  Garden  of  Eden  and  became  subject  to  the  pen- 
alty of  death  ;  that,  to  alleviate  his  repentant  contrition, 
a  divine  revelation  was  communicated  to  him  that  man 
should  be  placed  in  a  condition  for  restoration  to  his 
favor  by  means  of  a  mediator  •  that,  although  the  body 
was  subject  to  the  penalty  of  death,  it  should  rise  again, 
and  that  the  spirit  was  immortal ;  that  for  the  increasing 
wickedness  of  man  God  sent  a  deluge  to  purge  the  earth 
of  its  corruptions  ;  that  when  it  was  re-peopled  by  means 
of  eight  persons  who  were  saved  in  the  ark,  he  renewed 
his  gracious  covenant  with  several  of  the  patriarchs  ; 
delivered  his  people  from  Egypt ;  led  them  in  the  wilder- 
ness ;  brought  them  to  the  promised  land,  and  instituted 
a  tabernacle  and  temple  worship  which  contained  the 
most  indisputable  types  of  the  religion  which  the  Messiah 
should  reveal  and  promulgate. 


COINCIDENCES    WITH    THE    MYSTERIES.  15 

Thus,  without  any  reference  to  forms  and  modes  of 
faith,  it  furnishes  a  series  of  indirect  evidences,  which 
silently  operate  to  establish  the  great  and  general  prin- 
ciples of  religion,  and  points  to  that  triumphant  system 
which  was  the  object  of  all  preceding  dispensations,  and 
must  ultimately  be  the  sole  religion  of  the  human  race, 
because  it  is  the  only  religion  in  which  the  plan  of  salva- 
tion is  clearly  developed. 

The  first  series  of  historical  facts  after  the  fall  of  man 
must  necessarily  have  been  traditional,  and  transmitted 
from  father  to  son  by  oral  communication.  The  facts  or 
legends  thus  communicated  would  be  entitled  to  the 
greatest  degree  of  credence,  while  those  that  were  com- 
mitted to  the  custody  of  symbols,  which  it  is  probable 
many  of  the  collateral  legends  would  be,  were  in  great 
danger  of  perversion,  because  the  truth  could  only  be 
ascertained  by  those  persons  who  were  intrusted  with 
the  secret  of  their  interpretation.  And  if  the  symbols 
were  of  doubtful  character,  and  carried  a  double  mean- 
ing, as  many  of  the  Egyptian  hieroglyphics  of  a  subse- 
quent age  actually  did,  the  legends  which  they  embodied 
might  sustain  very  considerable  alteration  in  eighteen  or 
nineteen  hundred  years,  although  passing  through  very 
few  hands. 

The  Hebrews  consider  their  traditions  of  more  intrin- 
sic value  than  the  Holy  Scriptures,  attaching  greater 
weight  and  authority  to  them  than  to  the  written  word 
of  God.  Thus  it  is  stated  in  their  writings,  that  "  the 
words  of  the  scribes  are  lovely  above  the  words  of  the 
law ;  that  the  words  of  the  law  are  weighty  and  light, 
but  the  words  of  the  scribes  are  all  weighty  ;  that  the 
words  of  the  elders  are  weightier  than  the  words  of  the 
prophets."  (By  "  the  words  of  the  scribes  "  and  "  the  words 


16  TRADITIONS    OF    FREEMASONRY. 

of  the  elders."  they  mean  the  traditions  delivered  to 
them  by  their  scribes  and  elders.)  And  in  other  places, 
that  "  the  written  text  is  only  as  water,  but  the  Mishna 
and  Talmud  (in  which  are  contained  their  traditions)  are 
as  wine  and  hippocras."  And  again,  that  "  the  written 
law  is  only  as  salt,  but  the  Mishna  and  Talmud  are  pep- 
per and  sweet  spices." 

To  found  the  universality  of  Freemasonry  upon  the 
few  traditional  S/.  T.\  W.\,  which  we  are  taught  in  the 
initiatory  degrees,  is  flying  in  the  face  of  masonic  experi- 
ence, and  of  our  universally-spread  doctrines,  and  is  in 
opposition  to  the  first  principles  of  the  craft.  It  is  ad- 
mitted that  we  are  in  possession  of  numerous  legends 
which  are  not  found  in  Holy  Writ,  but  being  of  very 
ancient  date  are  entitled  to  consideration,  although  the 
authenticity  of  some  of  them  may  be  questioned ;  yet  we 
regard  it  as  interesting  and  useful  to  gather  up  the  tra- 
ditional notices  of  the  Early  Ages,  which,  floating  down- 
ward on  the  stream  of  time,  have  been  arrested  and  pre- 
served for  our  meditation  and  instruction. 

Our  system  of  typical  or  legendary  tradition  adds  to 
the  dignity  of  the  institution  by  its  general  reference  to 
sublime  truths,  which  were  considered  necessary  to  its 
existence  or  its  consistency  ;  although  some  of  the  facts, 
how  pure  soever  at  their  first  promulgation,  may  have 
been  distorted  and  perverted  by  passing  through  a  multi- 
tude of  hands  in  their  transmission,  amidst  the  political 
fluctuations  of  the  earth  and  the  downfall  of  mighty 
states  and  empires. 

As  an  example  of  perseverance  in  the  acquirement  of 
information  by  oral  instruction,  we  copy  the  Rabbinical 
tradition  of  the  mode  adopted  by  Moses  to  impress  the 
principles  of  the  oral  law  upon  the  Children  of  Israel. 


COINCIDENCES    WITH    THE    MYSTERIES.  17 

When  Moses  had  descended  from  Mount  Sinai,  and 
had  spoken  to  the  people,  he  retired  to  his  tent.  Here 
he  was  visited  by  Aaron,  to  whom,  sitting  at  his  feet,  he 
recited  the  law  and  its  explanation  as  he  had  received 
it  from  God.  Aaron  then  rose  and  seated  himself  on  the 
right  hand  of  Moses. 

Eleazer  and  Ithamar,  the  sons  of  Aaron,  now  entered 
the  tent,  and  Moses  repeated  to  them  all  that  he  had 
communicated  to  their  father ;  after  which  they  seated 
themselves,  one  on  the  left  hand  of  Moses  and  the  other 
on  the  right  hand  of  Aaron.  Then  went  in  the  seventy 
elders,  and  Moses  taught  them  in  the  same  manner  as  he 
had  taught  Aaron  and  his  sons.  Afterward,  all  of  the 
congregation  who  desired  to  know  the  Divine  will  came 
in,  and  to  them  also  Moses  recited  the  law  and  its 
interpretation,  in  the  same  manner  as  before.  The  law, 
thus  orally  delivered  by  Moses,  had  now  been  heard  four 
times  by  Aaron,  three  times  by  his  sons,  twice  by  the 
seventy  elders,  and  once  by  the  rest  of  the  people.  After 
this,  Moses  withdrawing,  Aaron  repeated  all  that  he  had 
heard  from  Moses  and  retired ;  then  Eleazer  and 
Ithamar  repeated  it  and  also  withdrew  ;  and  finally,  the 
same  thing  was  done  by  the  seventy  elders  ;  so  that  each 
of  them  having  heard  the  law  repeated  four  times,  it 
was  thus  finally  fixed  in  their  memories. 

The  interpretation  of  the  written  code  is  said  to  have 
been  delivered  to  Moses  at  the  same  time  with  the  latter, 
accompanied  by  the  Divine  command  :  "  Thou  shalt  not 
divulge  the  words  which  I  have  said  to  thee  out  of  my 
mouth."  The  oral  law  was  therefore  never  intrusted 
to  books ;  but  being  preserved  in  the  memories  of  the 
judges,  prophets,  priests,  and  other  wise  men,  was 
handed  down,  from  one  to  the  other,  through  a  long  sue* 


18  TRADITIONS    OF    FREEMASONRY. 

cession  of  ages,  to  the  time  when  the  Rabbi  Judah  col- 
lected them  and  committed  them  to  writing. 

There  are  many  symbolisms  which  identify  a  Free- 
mason's Lodge  with  the  City  and  Temple  of  Jerusalem. 

1.  The  city  was  built  on  the  high  hills  of  Sion  and 
Moriah,  and  near  the  deep  valley  of  Jehoshaphat ;  our 
Lodge  is  symbolically  constructed  on  the  highest  hills  or 
in  the  lowest  valleys. 

2.  The  Temple  was  built  due  east  and  west ;  so  is  a 
Mason's  Lodge. 

3.  The  Temple  was  an  oblong  square,  and  its  ground 
was  holy  ;  such  are  the  form  and  ground  of  the  Lodge. 

4.  The  Cherubims  of  the  Mercy-seat  were  surmounted 
by  a  crown  of  glory  ;  and  our  Lodge  in  like  manner  is 
covered  with  a  clouded  canopy. 

5.  The  work  was  constructed  by  the  aid  oi  three 
Grand  Masters ;  there  are  three  principal  officers  of  a 
Lodge,  and  without  the  presence  of  all  three  no  Lodge 
can  be  opened  for  the  transaction  of  business. 

6.  Like  the  Temple,  our  Lodge  is  founded  on  the 
mercies  of  JEHOVAH  ;  consecrated  in  his  name,  dedicated 
to  his  honor,  and  from  the  foundation  to  the  cap-stone 
it  proclaims  "glory  to    God  in  the  highest,  peace  on 
earth,  good  will  toward  men.'* 

These  coincidences  might  be  multiplied  almost  through 
the  whole  minutiae  of  building,  but  sufficient  for  the 
present.  The  coincidences  in  ceremonies  attendant  upon 
the  Temple  worship  are  still  more  remarkable  ;  some  of 
these  will  be  noticed  as  the  work  progresses. 

In  a  German  work,  entitled  the  "  Hebrew  Mysteries,  or 
the  Oldest  Religious  Freemasonry"  it  is  affirmed  that  "  the 
Mosaic  religion  was  an  initiation  into  mysteries,  tho 
principal  form  and  regulations  of  which  were  borrowed 


COINCIDENCES    WITH    THE   MYSTERIES.  19 

by  Moses  from  the  secrets  of  the  old  Egyptians."  Jose- 
phus  says,  that  "  the  high  and  sublime  knowledge  which 
the  Gentiles  with  difficulty  attained  in  the  celebration  of 
their  mysteries,  was  habitually  taught  to  the  Jews  at  all 
times."  In  the  law  of  Moses  a  deference  is  paid  to  the 
Egyptians,  and  the  Israelites  were  ordered  to  look  upon 
them  with  an  eye  of  favor  ;  nay,  they  were  permitted  to 
enter  the  sanctuary  after  the  second  generation. 

It  had  been  predicted  by  one  of  the  magicians  of 
Egypt — so  says  tradition — that  a  Hebrew  child  would 
be  born,  who  should  prove  a  scourge  to  the  Egyptians 
and  advance  his  own  nation  to  great  worldly  glory.  The 
edict  for  the  destruction  of  the  male  Hebrew  children 
was  therefore  strictly  enforced.  Moses  was  saved  by 
the  ingenuity  of  his  mother,  and  became  the  favorite  of 
the  Egyptian  princess,  who  adopted  him  and  educated 
him  in  every  princely  accomplishment,  and  placed  him 
under  the  especial  tuition  of  a  learned  priesthood.  Here 
he  was  instructed  in  the  arts  and  sciences  and  the  pecu- 
liar mysteries  of  religion. 

A  tradition  quoted  by  Josephus  says,  that  the  "  princess, 
having  no  child,  adopted  Moses  and  brought  him  while  a 
child  to  her  father  ;  and,  admiring  both  the  beauty  of  his 
person  and  the  promising  appearance  of  a  genius  in  him, 
wished  he  would  appoint  him  to  be  his  successor,  if  she 
should  have  no  children  ;  that  the  king  hereupon,  in  a 
pleasant  humor,  put  his  crown  upon  the  child's  head, 
and  that  Moses  took  it  off  and  laid  it  upon  the  ground, 
turning  it  about  with  his  feet.  One  of  the  priests  in  at- 
tendance thought  his  actions  ominous  and  was  earnest 
to  have  him  killed,  as  a  person  that  would  be  fatally  mis- 
chievous to  the  Egyptian  crown  ;  but  the  princess  again 
saved  him  from  destruction." 


20  TRADITIONS    OF    FREEMASONRY. 

There  is  a  curious  Arabian  tradition  respecting  a 
monolith  chamber  which  formed  a  part  of  the  palace  in 
which  Moses  was  brought  up.  It  was  called  the  Green 
Chamber,  and  is  thus  described  as  being  found  among  the 
ruins  of  Memphis :  It  is  made  of  a  single  stone,  nine 
cubits  (about  fifteen  feet)  high,  eight  long  and  seven 
broad.  In  the  middle  of  the  stone  a  niche  or  hole  is 
hollowed  out,  which  leaves  two  cubits  of  thickness  for 
the  sides,  as  well  as  for  the  top  and  bottom.  All  the 
rest  forms  the  interior  capacity  of  the  chamber.  It  is 
quite  covered,  both  outside  and  inside,  with  intaglios  in 
relief.  On  the  outside  is  the  figure  of  the  sun  in  the 
east,  and  a  great  number  of  stars,  spheres,  men  and 
animals.  The  men  are  represented  in  different  attitudes, 
some  stationary,  others  moving  ;  some  have  their  dresses 
tucked  up  to  allow  them  to  work,  others  carry  materials, 
and  some  are  giving  orders.  It  is  evident  that  these 
representations  refer  to  important  things,  remarkable 
actions,  and  represent,  under  emblems,  very  profound 
secrets.  This  niche  was  firmly  fixed  on  supports  of  mas- 
sive granite,  and  placed  in  a  magnificent  temple  con- 
structed of  enormous  stones,  put  together  with  the  most 
perfect  art. 

It  is  well  known  that  there  was  a  species  of  knowledge 
in  the  Egyptian  mysteries,  which  was  communicated  to 
none  but  those  who  were  intended  for  the  throne  or 
priesthood.  This  knowledge  was  vailed  in  allegory  and 
illustrated  by  symbols  and  hieroglyphics  of  very  expres- 
sive character  and  import,  and  was  carefully  concealed 
from  all  who  were  not  deemed  worthy  of  initiation.  It 
was  indeed  an  institution  of  secrecy,  which  included 
many  important  doctrines,  and  particularly  those  of  the 
Divine  Unity  and  a  future  state.  Moses  could  not  have 


COINCIDENCES    WITH    THE    MYSTERIES.  21 

been  left  in  ignorance  of  this  mysterious  knowledge, 
because,  as  he  himself  informs  us,  he  was  acquainted 
with  "all  the  learning  of  Egypt,"  When  arrived  at 
man's  estate,  he  was  intrusted  with  the  command  of 
armies  and  fought  with  distinguished  bravery. 

The  Ethiopians  had  made  war  upon  and  overran  a 
large  part  of  Egypt,  carrying  their  victorious  arms  to  the 
city  of  Memphis  itself,  and  the  whole  people  were  antici- 
pating subjugation.  In  this  strait  recourse  was  had  to 
their  oracles,  who  promised  victory,  provided  Moses  the 
Hebrew  was  placed  in  command  of  the  army. 

The  response  of  the  oracle  met  the  approbation  of  the 
sacred  scribes  of  both  the  Egyptians  and  the  Hebrews  ; 
that  of  the  former,  because  they  hoped  that  they  would  be 
relieved  of  their  enemies  by  his  valor,  and  that  he  would 
be  slain  ;  that  of  the  latter,  because,  as  he  was  of  their 
own  people,  they  hoped  that  he  would  deliver  them  from 
their  Egyptian  bondage. 

To  meet  the  enemy  Moses  had  the  choice  of  two 
routes — one  by  land,  which  was  deemed  impracticable  on 
account  of  the  deserts  being  infested  with  such  multitudes 
of  venomous  serpents  ;  the  other  by  the  river,  but  there 
the  enemy  had  made  ample  preparation.  He  chose  the 
laud  route,  and  to  remedy  the  great  difficulties  he  caused 
baskets  to  be  made  and  filled  them  with  ibes,  and  carried 
them  along  with  his  army. 

The  IBIS  was  a  sacred  bird  among  the  Egyptians, 
because  of  its  peculiar  enmity  to  the  serpent  kind,  and 
the  avidity  with  which  it  devoured  them.  As  soon  as 
Moses  came  to  the  land  which  was  the  breeder  (see 
Josephus)  of  these  serpents  he  let  loose  the  ibes,  and 
by  that  means  repelled  the  serpents,  and  his  army  was 
thus  enabled  to  surprise  the  Ethiopians ;  their  army 


22  TRADITIONS    OF    FREEMASONRY. 

was  routed  and  driven  out  of  Egypt.  Moses,  pursu- 
ing them,  carried  the  war  into  their  own  country,  cap- 
turing many  of  their  cities,  and  laying  siege  to  their 
capital,  Saba.  The  city  was  on  an  island  encompassed, 
as  it  were,  by  three  rivers,  and  further  protected  by 
great  walls,  ramparts,  etc.,  and  was  regarded  as  impreg- 
nable. 

Both  tradition  and  sacred  history  say  that  Moses 
was  of  extraordinary  beauty,  and  that  is  the  reason  as- 
signed for  his  adoption  by  Thermuthis,  the  princess  of 
Egypt.  The  daughter  of  the  Ethiopian  king,  seeing 
Moses  from  the  city  walls,  fell  deeply  in  love  with  him, 
and,  sending  by  one  of  her  most  trusty  servants,  offered 
herself  in  marriage.  Moses  assented  to  the  proposition, 
on  condition  that  she  would  procure  the  delivery  of  the 
city  to  him,  confirming  the  assurance  by  an  oath.  By 
that  means  he  obtained  possession  of  the  city,  and,  after 
consummating  his  marriage  with  Tharbis,  he  led  the 
Egyptians  to  their  own  land. 

But,  whatever  intellectual  power,  learned  acquire- 
ments or  personal  prowess  united  to  constitute  and  ele- 
vate the  character  of  Moses,  they  did  not  form  the  finest 
feature  of  his  greatness  ;  this  is  to  be  found  in  his  faith. 
It  was  this  which  led  him  to  renounce  all  the  honor  and 
aggrandizement  which  had  been  placed  within  his  reach, 
and  to  prefer  persecution  and  suffering  in  company  with 
the  people  of  God. 

Moses,  notwithstanding  his  adoption  into  the  family  of 
Pharaoh,  was  well  acquainted  with  his  Hebrew  origin, 
and  equally  so  with  the  religious  faith  and  predicted 
destiny  of  the  house  of  his  fathers.  It  is  scarcely  pos- 
sible to  conceive  of  a  position  better  calculated  to  test 
an  enlightened  and  ingenious  mind,  than  that  in  which 


COINCIDENCES    WITH    THE    MYSTERIES.  23 

he  at  this  time  stood.  Elevated  to  prominent  dignity  in 
the  Egyptian  court,  and  heir-apparent  to  the  crown,  not 
only  honor,  but  pleasure  and  wealth,  spread  their  fas- 
cinating attractions  before  him.  And  his  mind  clearly 
apprehended  all  their  variety  and  extent.  But,  on  the 
other  hand,  he  felt  his  natural  connection  with  the  He- 
brews, in  all  their  persecution  and  affliction,  and  identified 
his  condition  and  destiny  with  theirs. 

There  is  reason  to  believe  that,  even  at  this  early 
period,  having  made  this  sacrifice,  he  had  received  an 
impression  that  he  should  be  the  instrument  of  delivering 
his  brethren  from  their  cruel  bondage.  He  was  there- 
fore prepared,  to  some  extent,  to  interest  himself  in  their 
deliverance,  and  soon  had  an  opportunity  of  manifesting 
his  zeal.  Having  looked  on  their  burdens,  marked  well, 
and  with  painful  emotions,  the  severity  of  their  toil  and 
privation,  he  saw  "  an  Egyptian  smiting  a  Hebrew,  one 
of  his  brethren,"  and  thinking  himself  unobserved  he 
espoused  the  cause  of  the  injured  and  slew  the  oppressor. 

Moses  hoped  that  the  impression  made  on  his  own 
mind  had  been  accompanied  with  similar  convictions  on 
the  minds  of  his  Hebrew  brethren.  But  their  conduct 
convinced  him  of  his  error  ;  and,  presuming  that  this  re- 
port would  soon  reach  the  ears  of  Pharaoh,  he  fled  from 
Egypt  and  went  to  the  land  of  Midian,  where  he  re- 
mained forty  years. 

An  old  Rabbinical  tradition  says  that  Moses  was  ac- 
tually imprisoned  for  the  killing  of  the  Egyptian,  and 
condemned  to  be  beheaded  ;  but  that,  when  he  should 
have  suffered,  his  neck  became  as  hard  as  ivory,  and  the 
sword  rebounded  on  the  executioner. 

Other  traditions  of  Moses  relate  the  manner  of  his  es- 
cape from  Egypt — that  the  road  pursued  was  determined 


24  TRADITIONS    OF    FREEMASONRY. 

by  augury ;  that,  resting  near  a  well,  he  protected  the 
seven  daughters  of  Jethro  from  some  shepherds  who  at- 
tempted to  drive  them  and  their  flocks  from  the  well ; 
that  in  consequence  thereof  Jethro  invited  him  to  his 
house,  and,  through  the  solicitations  of  his  daughters, 
Jethro  employed  him  as  a  keeper  of  his  flocks,  where  he 
remained  many  years  and  until  called  by  God  to  deliver 
the  Children  of  Israel  from  their  Egyptian  bondage. 

There  is  a  Hindoo  tradition  of  Vishnu,  which  shows  a 
remarkable  coincidence  of  circumstance  between  events 
in  his  life  and  those  of  Moses. 

Yishnu,  who  was  the  second  person  in  the  Indian 
Trinity,  so  soon  as  he  was  born  was  exposed  in  a  great 
river,  to  prevent  his  falling  a  victim  to  the  king's  anger, 
who  was  resolved  to  put  him  to  death  the  moment  he 
should  come  into  the  world.  The  river,  out  of  venera- 
tion for  the  child,  smoothed  its  surface  and  would  not 
suffer  its  waters  to  hurt  so  precious  a  charge.  The  child 
was  taken  out  of  this  inconstant  element  and  brought  up 
among  shepherds.  He  afterward  married  with  the 
daughters  of  those  shepherds,  and  for  a  long  time  kept 
the  flocks  of  his  father-in-law.  The  young  man  soon 
distinguished  himself  from  the  rest  of  his  companions, 
who  elected  him  for  their  chief,  when  he  performed  won- 
ders in  protecting  the  flocks  and  those  that  kept  them. 
He  put  to  death  the  king  who  had  threatened  them  with 
a  bloody  war,  and  was  pursued  by  his  enemies  ;  when, 
finding  himself  unable  to  make  head  against  them,  ho 
withdrew  toward  the  sea,  which  immediately  contracted 
its  waters  to  open  them  a  passage,  and  thereby  over- 
whelmed all  his  pursuers,  by  which  means  he  escaped 
their  cruelty. 


CHAPTEE   II. 


ENTERED     APPEENTICE. 

METAL  Tools,  Temples  and  Altars  polluted  in  their  Construction  by  the  usa 
of —  Tradition  of  the  Ishmaelites  relative  to  the  Building  of  Solomon's 
Temple  —  Hebrew  Tradition  relative  to  the  same  —  Erected  without 
noise,  a  Mahommedan  Tradition  —  Zennar  or  Cable-Tow  of  the  Indian 
Mysteries  —  Cable-Tow,  derivation  of  the  Masonic  term  —  Discalceation 
a  Hebrew  Ceremony —  Why  practiced  by  Masons  —  Submission  to  Law 
runs  through  the  whole  system  —  Darkness  an  Emblem  of  Death  — 
Initiations  performed  in  Caverns — Guarded  by  a  Janitor  or  Tyler  — 
Traditions  of  the  Three  Knocks  used  by  Noah  — Tests  of  Fortitude  — 
Trust  —  Circumambulation  practiced  in  the  Initiatory  Ceremonies  of 
the  Greeks,  Romans,  Hindoos  and  Druids  —  From  East  to  West  — 
Traditions  that  Arts  and  Sciences  originated  in  the  East  and  traveled 
West  —  Tradition  relative  to  the  same  —  Obligations,  manner  and  form 
of  Taking  and  of  Confirming  —  Joining  of  Right  Hands  a  token  of  Love, 
of  Friendship,  and  of  Fidelity  —  Traditions  of  the  Goddess  Fides  —  Use 
of  the  Right  Hand,  Scriptural  examples  —  Pythagoras'  caution  —  Used 
by  the  Early  Christians  —  Antiquity  of  the  Usage  —  Brought  to  Light  — 
Explication  of  Ceremonies  and  Coincidences  —  Deacons,  when  the 
Office  was  Introduced  —  Tradition  of  the  Rod  of  Moses  —  The  Rod  as  a 
Symbol  of  Power  —  Traditions  —  Wand  of  the  Magician  —  Apron  —  By 
the  Ancients  was  universally  received  as  an  Emblem  of  Truth  —  Exam- 
ples of  its  use  —  The  Apron  the  original  Standard  of  Persia. 

THERE  appears  to  have  been  a  peculiar  pollution  at- 
tached to  the  use  of  metal  tools  in  the  construction  of 
earthly  temples.  The  Almighty  commanded  Moses  from 
the  Mount  to  raise  a  simple  altar  of  earth  ;  and  if  that 
should  not  prove  sufficiently  permanent,  he  was  directed 
to  form  it  of  unhewn  stone,  lest  it  should  be  polluted  by 
the  use  of  an  iron  tool.  And  David,  long  afterward, 
lamented  the  destruction  of  the  intended  temple,  which 
he  foresaw  would  be  effected  by  the  axes  and  hammers 
of  the  surrounding  idolaters.  The  temple  itself,  though 

(27) 


28  TRADITIONS   OF   FREEMASONRY. 

an  tmequaled  monument  of  riches  and  architectural 
magnificence,  was  put  together  without  the  assistance  of 
ax,  hammer,  or  any  metal  tool. 

The  Ishmaelites  have  a  tradition  which  originated  in 
the  fact  that  the  temple  was  built  of  stone  and  timber 
prepared  in  the  quarries  of  Tyre  and  forests  of  Lebanon, 
conveyed  by  the  way  of  Joppa  to  Jerusalem,  and  there 
put  together  by  such  a  process  that  nothing  was  known 
among  the  workmen  but  harmony  and  peace,  and  that 
the  stones  had  been  prepared  with  such  perfect  accuracy 
that  when  fitted  together  the  joints  could  not  be  dis- 
covered. 

The  Hebrews  have  a  tradition  that  the  stones  were 
not  framed  and  polished  by  human  industry,  but  by  a 
worm  called  samir,  which  God  created  for  that  purpose  ; 
and  that  the  stones  came  together  of  their  own  accord, 
and  were  put  together  by  angels. 

The  Mahommedans  have  a  tradition  that  Solomon, 
who  was  very  much  annoyed  by  the  noise  made  in  the 
working  of  metals,  offered  an  imprisoned  genii  his 
liberty,  provided  he  would  indicate  the  means  whereby 
the  hardest  metals  might  be  worked  without  noise.  "  I 
myself  know  of  no  such,"  replied  Sachr  ;  "  but  the  raven 
will  best  be  able  to  advise  thee.  Take  only  the  eggs 
from  a  raven's  nest  and  cover  them  with  a  crystal  bowl, 
and  thou  shalt  see  how  the  mother-bird  will  cut  it 
through." 

Solomon  followed  Sachr's  advice.  A  raven  came  and 
flew  about  the  bowl,  but  finding  that  she  could  not  get 
access  to  the  eggs  she  flew  away,  and  a  few  hours  after- 
ward re-appeared  with  a  stone  in  her  beak  called 
samur,  which  had  no  sooner  touched  the  bowl  than  it 
fell  in  two  halves. 


COINCIDENCES  WITH  THE  MYSTERIES.  29 

Solomon  procured  a  number  of  these  stones,  and  di- 
iding  them  among  the  workmen  they  were  enabled  to 
continue  their  labors  without  the  slightest  noise  or 
confusion. 

In  the  Old  Lectures  it  is  said,  "  He  that  is  truly  square, 
well  polished,  and  uprightly  fixed,  is  qualified  to  be  a 
member  of  our  most  honorable  society.  He  that  trusteth 
such  a  person  with  any  engagement  is  freed  from  all 
trouble  and  anxiety  about  the  performance  of  it,  for  he 
is  faithful  to  his  trust ;  his  words  are  the  breathings  of 
his  heart,  and  he  is  an  utter  stranger  to  deceit. 

In  the  Mysteries  of  India,  the  aspirant  was  invested 
with  a  consecrated  sash  or  girdle,  which  he  was  directed 
to  wear  next  his  skin.  It  was  manufactured  with  many 
mysterious  ceremonies,  and  said  to  possess  the  power  of 
preserving  the  wearer  from  personal  danger.  It  con- 
sisted of  a  cord  composed  of  three  times  three  threads 
twisted  together  and  fastened  at  the  end  with  a  knot, 
and  was  called  zennar.  Hence  comes  our  Cable-tow.  It 
was  an  emblem  of  their  triune  Deity,  the  remembrance 
of  whom  we  also  preserve  in  many  of  our  symbols.  The 
Masonic  word  Cable-tow  is  said  to  be  derived  from  the 
Hebrew  word  itlb^H  KHA-BLE-Tu — "his  pledge,"  as 
used  in  Ezekiel  xviii.  7. 

Among  the  ancients  the  ceremony  of  discalceation,  or 
the  pulling  off  a  shoe,  indicated  reverence  for  the  pres- 
ence of  God.  This  custom  was  also  expressive  of  the 
cement  of  a  bargain  or  contract,  the  party  conveying 
away  a  right  or  privilege  took  off  a  shoe  and  gave  it  to 
his  neighbor  as  a  pledge  of  his  fidelity.  Among  the 
Hebrews  it  was  a  token  of  renunciation.  Thus  the 
kinsman  of  Ruth  renounced  his  claim  upon  her  in  favor 
of  Boaz.  We  read  in  Ruth  iv.  7  :  "  Now  this  was  the 


30  TRADITIONS   OP   FKEEMASONBY. 

manner  in  former  time  in  Israel,  concerning  redeeming 
and  concerning  changing,  for  to  confirm  all  things :  a 
man  plucked  off  his  shoe  and  gave  it  to  his  neighbor ; 
and  this  was  a  testimony  in  Israel."  The  use  of  the 
shoe  in  this  instance  is  sufficiently  intelligible  ;  the  taking 
off  the  shoe  denoting  the  relinquishment  of  the  right  and 
the  dissolution  of  the  obligation  in  the  one  instance,  and 
its  transfer  in  the  other.  The  use  of  this  ceremony 
among  Masons  indicates  that  the  initiate  agrees  to  sur- 
render his  own  will  in  all  that  relates  to  the  order  and 
become  obedient  to  its  ancient  laws. 

The  principle  of  submission  and  obedience  runs  through 
the  whole  system  and  constitutes  one  of  the  greatest 
safeguards  of  our  institution.  The  Mason  is  obedient  to 
the  Master,  the  Master  and  Lodge  to  the  Grand  Lodge, 
and  this  in  its  turn  to  the  old  landmarks  and  ancient 
regulations  of  the  order.  Thus  is  a  due  degree  of  subor- 
dination kept  up,  and  the  institution  preserved  in  its 
primitive  purity.  It  must  not  be  lost  sight  of  that  the 
government  of  Masonry  is  unlike  all  other  governments 
now  in  existence,  and  approaches  very  nearly  the  struc- 
ture of  the  pure  theocracy  once  prevalent  among  the 
chosen  people.  The  theory  of  such  a  government  con- 
templates implicit  faith  in  the  wisdom,  and  obedience  to 
the  liberty  of  its  head.  We  may  not  call  in  question 
the  propriety  of  this  organization ;  if  we  would  .be 
Masons,  we  must  yield  private  judgment.  "  To  the  law 
and  to  the  testimony — if  any  man  walk  not  by  this  rule, 
it  is  because  there  is  no  light  in  him." 

The  language  of  the  kinsman  of  Ruth  would  indicate 
that  such  was  an  ancient  custom,  and  as  we  do  not  find 
it  among  the  written  instructions  of  Moses,  it  must  have 
come  down  from  remote  antiquity  by  oral  tradition. 


COINCIDENCES  WITH  THE  MYSTERIES.  31 

This  subject  will  be  more  fully  noticed  when  treating  of 
the  ceremonies  of  the  Royal  Arch. 

In  every  country  under  heaven  the  initiations  were 
performed  in  caverns,  either  natural  or  artificial,  and 
darkness  was  honored  with  peculiar  marks  of  veneration, 
by  reason  of  its  supposed  priority  of  existence.  "  And 
God  said,  Let  there  be  light :  and  there  was  light." 
Light  was  an  emblem  of  life,  and  Darkness  of  death ; 
and  Death  was  a  prelude  to  resurrection.  It  will  at 
once  be  seen,  therefore,  in  what  manner  the  doctrine  of 
the  resurrection  was  inculcated  and  exemplified  in  these 
remarkable  institutions  of  the  ancients. 

The  entrance  to  the  caverns  was  guarded  by  a 
janitor  armed  with  a  drawn  sword,  to  prevent  unlaw- 
ful intrusion,  and  to  see  that  the  candidate  went 
through  his  probation  with  becoming  fortitude  and  per- 
severance. 

The  Eastern  Christians  had  a  curious  tradition  de- 
rived probably  from  some  ceremony  in  the  mysteries, 
which  were  decidedly  arkite,  that  when  God  ordered 
Noah  to  build  the  Ark,  he  also  directed  him  to  make  an 
instrument  of  wood,  such  as  is  used  in  the  East  at  this 
day  instead  of  bells  to  call  the  people  to  worship,  and 
named,  in  Arabic,  ndkus,  which  he  was  to  strike  three 
times  every  day,  not  only  to  call  together  the  workmen 
that  were  building  the  Ark,  but  to  give  him  an  oppor- 
tunity of  daily  admonishing  them  of  the  impending  dan- 
ger of  the  deluge. 

The  probation  of  a  candidate  in  ancient  times  em- 
braced many  important  particulars  ;  but  principally  his 
fortitude  and  constancy  were  severely  tried  by  the 
application  of — sometimes  an  iron  instrument  heated 
red  hot ;  at  others  the  point  of  a  sword  or  other  sharp 


32  TRADITIONS   OF   FREEMASONRY. 

weapon,  while  lie  himself  was  deprived  of  all  means  of 
defense  and  protection. 

Freemasonry  is  a  system  based  upon  the  knowledge 
and  acknowledgment  of  God,  who  is  the  creator  of  the 
world  and  the  author  and  giver  of  every  good  and  per- 
fect gift ;  the  vehicle  which  has  brought  down  from  the 
antediluvian  world  the  primitive  religion  of  man.  It 
must  not,  however,  be  mistaken  for  a  religious  sect,  al- 
though it  embraces  that  universal  system  in  which  all 
men  agree,  while  the  infidel  and  atheist  are  excluded 
because  they  prefer  the  dangerous  alternative  of  dis- 
believing the  Divine  existence. 

The  trust  of  a  Mason  is  in  the  most  high  God,  as  a 
basis  which  can  never  fail  and  a  rock  which  never  can 
be  shaken,  and  will  sustain  and  protect  him  under  all  the 
trials,  difficulties  and  dangers  while  traveling  through 
this  vale  of  tears. 

In  the  rite  of  circumambulation  we  find  another  cere- 
mony borrowed  from  the  ancient  Freemasonry  that  was 
practiced  in  the  mysteries.  In  ancient  Greece,  when  the 
priests  were  engaged  in  the  rite  of  sacrifice,  they  and  the 
people  always  walked  three  times  round  the  altar  while 
singing  a  sacred  hymn.  In  making  this  procession  great 
care  was  taken  to  move  in  imitation  of  the  course  of  the 
sun.  For  this  purpose  they  commenced  at  the  east,  and 
passing  on  by  the  way  of  the  south  to  the  west,  and 
thence  by  the  north,  they  arrived  at  the  east  again.  By 
this  means,  as  it  will  be  observed,  the  right  hand  was  al- 
ways nearest  the  altar. 

Among  the  Romans  the  ceremony  of  circumambula- 
tion was  always  used  in  the  rites  of  sacrifice,  of  expiation, 
or  purification.  Thus  Virgil  describes  Corynoeus  as 
purifying  his  companions  at  the  funeral  of  Misenus,  by 


COINCIDENCES  WITH   THE   MYSTERIES.  33 

passing  three  times  around  them  while  aspersing  them 
with  the  lustral  waters,  and  to  do  so  conveniently  it  wag 
necessary  that  he  should  have  moved  with  his  right  hand 
toward  them. 

Among  the  Hindoos  the  same  rite  of  circumambulation 
has  always  been  practiced.  As  an  instance,  we  may  cite 
the  ceremonies  which  are  required  to  be  performed  by  a 
Brahmin  upon  first  rising  from  bed  in  the  morning.  The 
priest  having  first  adored  the  sun,  while  directing  his 
face  to  the  east,  then  walks  toward  the  west  by  the  way 
of  the  south,  saying  at  the  same  time,  "  I  follow  the  course 
of  the  sun,"  which  he  thus  explains  :  "  As  the  sun  in  his 
course  moves  round  the  world  by  the  way  of  the  south, 
so  do  I  follow  that  luminary,  to  obtain  the  benefit  arising 
from  a  journey  round  the  earth  by  the  way  of  the  south." 

The  same  ceremony  was  in  use  in  the  Druidical  rites. 
The  priests  always  made  three  circuits,  from  east  to  west, 
by  the  right  hand,  around  the  altar,  accompanied  by  all 
the  worshipers. 

Blue  Masonry  has  retained  the  circuits,  but  has  utterly 
lost  the  explanation  ;  which  is,  that  in  the  mysteries  the 
candidate  invariably  represented  the  sun  descending 
southward  toward  the  reign  of  the  evil  principle,  Ahri- 
man  Siva  or  Typhon  (darkness  and  winter) ;  then  fig- 
uratively to  be  slain,  and  after  a  few  days  to  rise  again 
from  the  dead  and  commence  to  ascend  to  the  northward. 

It  will  be  well  for  the  masonic  student,  in  tracing 
these  analogies,  to  constantly  bear  in  mind  that  in  the 
rite  of  circumambulation,  the  number  of  revolutions  may 
and  does  vary  according  to  different  contingencies,  al- 
though, of  course,  the  number  three  is  most  important  as 
a  mystic  and  sacred  number,  but  that  at  all  times  the 
ceremony  must  be  performed  with  the  course  of  the  sun, 
2* 


34  TRADITIONS   OF  FREEMASONRY. 

turning  to  the  right  and  having  the  altar  on  the  right 
hand. 

The  masonic  symbolism  is,  that  the  circumambulation 
and  the  obstructions  at  various  points  refer  to  the  labors 
and  difficulties  of  the  student  in  his  progress  from  in- 
tellectual darkness  or  ignorance  to  intellectual  light  or 
truth. 

The  idea  of  the  existence  of  an  enlightened  people  who 
lived  at  a  remote  era,  and  came  from  the  east,  was  a 
very  prevalent  notion  among  the  ancient  traditions.  Eze- 
kiel  in  verse  2,  chapter  xliii.  says  :  "  The  glory  of  the 
God  of  Israel  came  from  the  way  of  the  east."  Adam 
Clark  says :  "  All  knowledge,  all  religion,  and  all  arts 
and  sciences  have  traveled  according  to  the  course  of 
the  sun  from  east  to  west."  Bazot  tells  us  (in  his  Manuel 
du  Franc-Macon,  page  154,)  that  "  the  veneration  which 
Masons  entertain  for  the  east  confirms  an  opinion  pre- 
viously announced,  that  the  religious  system  of  Masonry 
came  from  the  east,  and  has  reference  to  the  primitive 
religion,  whose  first  occupation  was  the  worship  of  the 
sun."  The  masonic  reader  will  recollect  the  answer 
given  in  the  Leland  MSS.  to  the  question  respecting  the 
origin  of  Masonry,  namely  :  "  It  did  begin  with  the  first 
men  in  the  east,  which  were  before  the  first  men  of  the 
west ;  and  coming  westerly,  it  hath  brought  herewith 
all  comforts  to  the  wild  and  comfortless." 

The  Talmudists  make  the  same  allusions  to  the  su- 
periority of  the  east,  and  one  of  the  traditions  says  : 
"  Adam  was  created  with  his  face  toward  the  east,  that 
he  might  behold  the  light  and  the  rising  sun,  whence  the 
east  to  him  was  the  anterior  part  of  the  world." 

An  oath  taken  with  the  face  toward  the  east  was 
deemed  more  solemn  and  binding  than  when  taken  with 


COINCIDENCES  WITH  THE  MYSTERIES.  35 

the  face  toward  any  other  cardinal  point.  Oaths  were 
variously  confirmed  :  by  lifting  up  the  hands  to  heaven, 
by  placing  them  on  the  altar,  or  on  a  stone,  or  in  the 
hands  of  the  person  administering  the  oath,  etc.  ;  and  a 
most  solemn  method  of  confirming  an  oath  was  by  placing 
a  drawn  sword  across  the  throat  of  the  person  to  whom 
it  was  administered,  and  invoking  heaven,  earth  and  sea 
to  witness  the  ratification. 

It  was  the  custom  to  add  a  solemn  imprecation  to 
their  oaths,  either  for  the  satisfaction  of  the  person  by 
whom  the  oath  was  imposed,  or  to  lay  a  more  inviolable 
obligation  on  themselves,  lest  they  should  at  any  time 
repent  of  their  purpose  and  take  contrary  measures  to 
what  they  then  resolved  upon.  The  person  who  took  the 
oath  in  some  of  the  mysterious  rites  was  to  be  upon  his 
bare  knees,  with  a  naked  sword  pointed  to  his  throat. 

Among  the  Druids  it  was  a  necessary  duty  of  the 
bards  to  unsheath  the  sivord  against  those  who  had  for- 
feited their  obligation  by  divulging  any  of  the  secrets  of 
the  order.  In  this  respect  their  custom  was  the  same 
as  that  of  all  other  nations.  Thus,  in  the  introduction 
to  Llywarch  Hen,  we  find  that  the  custom  was  to  "  call 
upon  the  delinquent  three  times,  proclaiming  that  the 
sword  was  naked  against  him."  The  same  ceremony 
was  used  in  the  Eleusinian  mysteries. 

Among  the  Greeks  the  east  was  considered  the  right 
side  of  the  world,  and  the  west  the  left;  whence  the 
right  hand  was  held  in  greater  honor  than  the  left.  On 
serious  occasions  they  used  to  swear  by  their  right  hand 
on  their  head. 

There  could  not  possibly  have  been  devised  a  more 
significant  token  of  love,  friendship,  integrity  and  hon- 
esty than  the  joining  of  right  hands ;  in  all  ages  and 


36  TRADITIONS  OF   FREEMASONRY. 

among  all  nations  it  has  been  deemed  an  important  sym- 
bol to  represent  the  virtue  of  fidelity.  Among  the  an- 
cients the  right  hand  and  fidelity  to  an  obligation  were 
almost  deemed  synonymous  terms.  Thus,  among  the 
Romans,  the  expression  "  fallere  dextram."  to  betray  the 
right  hand,  also  signified  to  violate  faith,  and  "jungere 
dextras,"  to  join  right  hands,  meant,  to  give  a  mutual 
pledge.  Among  the  Hebrews,  -p^i  iamin,  the  right  hand, 
was  derived  from  ifaja  aman,  to  be  faithful ;  the  left  hand 
is  b&fa'O  semol,  which  Simonis  says  was  derived  from 
nbfalB  simelah,  an  outer  covering  or  garment,  because 
the  left  hand  was  covered  by  the  exterior  robe,  while  the 
right  hand  being  uncovered  was  used  as  the  pledge  of 
fidelity  and  sincerity,  and  hence  derived  its  name,  as  we 
have  just  said,  from  the  word  signifying  to  be  faithful. 

The  joining  of  right  hands  was  esteemed,  among  the 
Persians  and  Parthians,  as  conveying  a  most  inviolable 
obligation  of  fidelity.  Hence,  when  King  Artabanus  de- 
sired to  hold  a  conference  with  his  revolted  subject 
Asineus,  who  was  in  arms  against  him,  he  dispatched  a 
messenger  to  him  with  the  request,  who  said  to  Asineus, 
"  The  king  hath  sent  me  to  give  you  his  right  hand  and 
security,"  that  is,  a  promise  of  safety  in  coming  and  going. 
And  when  Asineus  sent  his  brother  Asileus  to  the  pro- 
posed conference,  the  king  met  him  and  gave  him  his 
right  hand,  upon  which  Josephus  remarks  :  "  This  is  of 
the  greatest  force  there  with  all  these  barbarians,  and 
affords  a  firm  security  to  those  who  hold  intercourse  with 
them,  for  none  of  them  will  deceive,  when  once  they  have 
given  you  their  right  hands  j  nor  will  any  one  doubt  of 
their  fidelity,  when  that  once  is  given,  even  though  they 
were  before  suspected  of  injustice." 

Valerius  Maximus  tells  us  that  the  ancients  had  a 


COINCIDENCES   WITH   THE   MYSTERIES.  37 

moral  deity  whom  they  called  Fides.  Her  temple  was 
first  consecrated  by  Numa.  Fides  was  a  goddess  of 
honesty  or  fidelity ;  and  the  writer  adds,  when  they 
promised  any  thing  of  old  they  gave  the  right  hand  to 
pledge  it,  as  we  do,  and  therefore  she  is  represented  as 
giving  her  hand  and  sometimes  her  two  hands  conjoined. 
Chartarius  more  fully  describes  this  by  observing  that 
the  proper  residence  of  faith  or  fidelity  was  thought  by 
the  ancients  to  be  in  the  righi  hand.  And  therefore 
this  deity  was  sometimes  represented  by  two  right  hands 
joined  together  ;  sometimes  by  two  little  images  shaking 
each  other's  right  hand,  so  that  the  right  hand  was  by 
them  held  sacred,  and  was  symbolically  made  use  of  in  a 
solemn  manner  to  denote  fidelity. 

In  the  Scriptures  we  find  frequent  references  to  the 
use  of  the  right  hand,  either  in  confirmation  of  an  agree- 
ment or  as  an  emblem  of  truth  and  fidelity.  Thus  St. 
Paul  says :  "  When  James,  Cephas,  and  John,  who  seemed 
to  be  pillars,  perceived  the  grace  that  was  given  unto 
me,  they  gave  to  me  and  Barnabas  the  right  hands  of 
fellowship,  that  we  should  go  unto  the  heathen,  and  they 
unto  the  circumcision"  In  Psalms  it  is  said,  "  Their 
right  hand  is  a  right  hand  of  falsehood,"  that  is  to  say, 
they  lift  up  their  right  hand  to  swear  to  what  is  not  true. 

This  lifting  up  the  right  hand  was,  in  fact,  the  universal 
mode  adopted  among  both  Jews  and  Pagans  in  taking  an 
oath.  The  custom  is  certainly  older  than  the  days  of 
Abram,  who  said  to  the  king  of  Sodom,  "  I  have  lift 
up  mine  hand  unto  the  Lord,  the  most  high  God,  the  pos- 
sessor of  heaven  and  earth,  that  I  will  not  take  any  thing 
that  is  thine."  The  mode  of  expression  shows  that  the 
uplifting  of  the  right  hand  was  a  familiar  emblem,  and 
recognized  as  an  evidence  of  truth. 


38  TRADITIONS  OP  FREEMASONRY. 

In  all  contracts  or  agreements  it  was  usual  to  take 
each  other  by  the  right  hand,  that  being  the  manner  of 
plighting  faith.  And  this  was  done  either  out  of  respect 
for  the  number  ten,  as  some  say,  there  being  ten  fingers 
on  the  two  hands,  or  because  such  a  conjunction  was  a 
token  of  amity  and  concord,  whence  at  all  friendly  meet- 
ings they  joined  hands  as  a  sign  of  the  union  of  their 
souls. 

It  was  one  of  the  cautions  of  Pythagoras  to  his  disci- 
ples, "  Take  heed  to  whom  you  offer  your  right  hand  ;" 
which  is  thus  explained  by  lamblichus  :  "  Give  not  your 
right  hand  easily ;  that  is,  draw  not  toward  you  im- 
proper and  uninitiated  persons  by  giving  them  your  right 
hand  ;  for  to  such  as  have  not  been  long  tried  by  repeated 
disciplines  and  doctrines,  and  who  have  not  proved 
themselves  fit  to  participate  in  the  mysteries  by  a  quin- 
quennial silence  and  other  trials,  the  right  hand  ought 
not  to  be  given."  Pythagoras  had  a  similar  moral  refer- 
ence to  the  right  foot.  One  of  his  symbols  was  :  "  Pluck 
off  your  right  shoe  first,  put  your  left  foot  first  into  the 
basin ;"  by  which  he  exhorted  his  disciples  to  active 
prudence.  The  right  represented  good  actions,  which 
ought  to  be  performed ;  and  the  left  bad  ones,  which 
ought  to  be  laid  aside  and  rejected. 

Since  the  introduction  of  Christianity  the  use  of  the 
right  hand  in  contracting  an  oath  has  been  continued, 
but  instead  of  extending  it  to  heaven,  or  seizing  with  it 
a  horn  of  the  altar,  it  is  now  directed  to  be  placed  upon 
the  Holy  Scriptures,  which  is  the  universal  mode  at  this 
day  in  all  Christian  countries. 

The  antiquity  of  this  usage  may  be  learned  from  the 
fact  that  the  code  of  the  Emperor  Theodosius,  adopted 
about  the  year  438,  the  placing  of  the  right  hand  on  the 


COINCIDENCES  WITH  THE  MYSTERIES.  39 

Gospels  is  alluded  to,  and  in  the  code  of  Justinian,  whose 
date  is  the  year  529,  the  ceremony  is  distinctly  laid  down 
as  a  necessary  part  of  the  formality  of  the  oath. 

When  brought  to  light  the  allegory  is  complete.  He 
sees  around  him  a  band  of  brothers,  bound  to  protect 
and  defend  him.  The  obligations  lie  has  assumed,  they 
and  every  Mason  in  the  world  have  assumed  toward 
him.  He  is  now  one  of  the  brotherhood,  bound  by  its 
laws,  and  enlisted  as  a  soldier  against  ignorance  and 
vice.  The  Master,  for  the  time,  is  entitled  to  respect, 
veneration  and  obedience,  as  the  unquestioned  authority 
in  his  lodge. 

The  candidate  has  represented  man  when  he  had 
sunken  from  his  original  lofty  estate  into  what  is  most 
improperly  styled  a  state  of  nature,  and,  like  the  rough 
ashler,  unfit  to  form  a  part  of  the  spiritual  temple.  He 
maintained  the  same  character  in  the  ancient  mysteries. 
Emphatically  a  profane,  enveloped  in  darkness •,  poor  and 
destitute  of  spiritual  knowledge,  and  emblematically 
naked.  The  material  darkness  which  is  produced  by 

is  an  emblem  of  the  darkness  of  his  soul.  He 

is  deprived  of  every  thing  that  has  a  value  and  where- 
with he  could  purchase  food,  to  indicate  his  utter  desti- 
tution of  the  mental  wealth  of  primitive  truth.  In  this 
degree  he  undergoes  only  physical  tests,  and  receives 
elementary  moral  instruction.  As  yet  he  takes  upon 
himself  no  duty  but  secrecy.  He  still  remains  in  the 
darlc  quarter  of  the  lodge,  though  not  in  the  north,  but  half- 
way toward  the  east,  the  place  of  light. 

He  is  not  exposed  to  the  fearful  trials  which  awaited 
th'e  candidate  for  initiation  into  the  mysteries.  He  passes 
through  no  gloomy  forests,  or  long  labyrinthine  caves ; 
he  meets  no  hideous  spectres  ;  he  is  stunned  and  alarmed 


40  TRADITIONS   OF   FREEMASONRY. 

oy  no  fearful  noises  ;  he  incurs  no  danger.  A  few  soli 
tary  moments  in  reflection  and  prayer,  a  short  time 
passed  in  darkness,  a  few  uncertain  steps,  a  few  obstacles 
to  overcome,  are  all ;  and  he  enters  the  temple  of  truth 
and  virtue. 

The  journeys  and  trials  of  the  candidate  are  an  em- 
blem of  human  life.  Man  enters  feeble  and  naked  upon 
a  road  full  of  dangers  and  pitfalls.  The  ignorance  of 
the  fancy,  the  fiery  passions  of  youth,  the  troubles  and 
agitations  of  mature  age,  the  infirmities  of  old  age,  are 
so  many  evils  which  assail  him  and  which  philosophy 
alone  can  aid  him  against.  Defenseless  in  a  world  of 
trouble,  what  would  become  of  him  without  the  assist- 
ance of  his  brethren  ? 

The  duties  of  the  Deacons  in  lodges  are  well  known. 
The  office  was  instituted  about  A.  D.  1800,  to  relieve 
the  Wardens  of  a  portion  of  the  duties  previously  per- 
formed by  them.  Their  badge  is  a  rod  or  wand.  An 
old  tradition  preserved  in  the  Talmud  says  of  the  rod 
of  Moses  :  "  This  rod,  or  staff,  had  its  origin  in  the  Gar- 
den of  Eden.  When  our  first  parents  fell  from  their 
original  state  of  innocence  and  were  expelled  from 
Paradise,  Adam,  bending  under  the  oppression  of  guilt, 
supported  his  weary  limbs  by  taking  in  his  hand  a 
branch  of  the  fatal  tree  which  had  occasioned  his  dis- 
grace. This  was  permitted  by  Jehovah  when  he  gave 
him  the  promise  of  a  Redeemer  ;  and  it  was  afterward 
miraculously  preserved  for  a  particular  purpose.  By 
Adam  it  was  bequeathed  to  Methuselah,  the  son  of 
Enoch,  who  transferred  it  to  Noah,  and  he  preserved  it 
in  the  Ark.  It  then  passed  into  the  possession  of  his 
grandson  Mizraim,  who  founded  the  city  of  Memphis, 
and  lie  deposited  it  in  the  celebrated  college  there,  where 


COINCIDENCES    WITH    THE    MYSTERIES.  41 

it  continued  unnoticed  for  many  generations.  But  when 
Jethro  was  consecrated,  and  sent  forth  by  this  college  to 
be  a  priest  of  Midian,  he  took  with  him  this  miraculous 
rod,  under  the  impression  that  it  possessed  some  extra- 
ordinary properties.  It  appears,  however,  that  he  de- 
rived no  benefit  from  it,  for  shortly  after  his  arrival  in 
the  country,  chancing  to  strike  the  lower  end  of  this  rod 
into  the  soil  of  his  garden,  to  his  great  astonishment  he 
found  himself  unable  to  withdraw  it.  But  it  was  subse- 
quently revealed  to  him  in  a  dream,  or  vision,  that  the 
rod  should  remain  immovable  until  God  should  send  a 
person  to  take  it  away,  in  whose  hands  it  would  be  a 
symbol  of  the  power  and  glory  of  the  Almighty. 

When  Moses  had  slain  the  tyrannical  Egyptian  he  fled 
for  concealment  and  safety  to  Jethro,  and  as  they  were 
walking  together  in  the  garden,  privately  conversing 
upon  the  subject  of  his  flight,  Moses,  apparently  by  acci- 
dent, laid  his  hand  upon  the  rod  and  without  any  exer- 
tion drew  it  out  of  the  ground.  Jethro  was  very  much 
surprised  at  this  occurrence  ;  but  after  the  first  emotions 
had  subsided,  he  acquainted  Moses  with  every  circum- 
stance relating  to  this  wonderful  rod.  The  future  law- 
giver considering  it  as  an  assurance  of  the  favor  of 
heaven,  immediately  took  the  divine  staff  into  his  own 
possession,  which  proved  not  only  a  symbol  of  his 
authority,  but  the  agent  by  which  all  the  miracles  were 
performed  that  preceded  and  accompanied  the  great 
deliverance  of  the  Children  of  Israel  from  their  Egyptian 
bondage  ;  and  its  extraordinary  powers  were  brought 
into  requisition  at  the  burning  bush,  to  convince  him  of 
his  holy  mission  and  the  certain  protection  which  would 
be  extended  to  him  by  the  omnipotent  I  Am. 

Throughout  the  whole  ancient  and  modern  world  the 


42     %  TRADITIONS    OF    FREEMASONRY. 

symbol  of  power  was  always  a  staff  or  sceptre.  In 
Egypt,  Omnipotence  was  denoted  by  a  sceptre  crowned 
with  an  eye.  The  royal  sceptre  of  Egypt  was  sur- 
mounted by  the  head  of  a  jackal,  as  an  emblem  of  the 
power  of  Osiris.  The  Tau,  or  handled  cross,  was  also  a 
staff  and  a  sacred  symbol.  The  same  idea  was  con- 
veyed equally  by  the  cypress  sceptre  of  Jupiter,  the 
trident  of  Neptune,  the  thyrsus  of  Bacchus,  the  club  of 
Hercules,  the  caduceus  of  Mercury,  the  mace  of  Thor,  the 
staff  of  the  Brahmins,  the  Druid's  wand,  and  the  Persian 
crosier. 

The  magical  rod  used  in  the  mysteries  of  Osiris,  and 
deposited  in  the  temple  of  Isis,  was  an  acknowledged  sub- 
stitute for  the  rod  of  Moses,  which  tradition  said  had 
been  stolen  from  the  college  of  Memphis.  Even  the 
golden  twig  or  staff  of  Eneas,  constituted  a  symbol  of 
protection  in  his  fearful  descent  into  Hades,  or,  in  other 
words,  his  initiation  into  the  mysteries.  During  the 
celebration  of  the  Dionysiaca  "the  thyrsus  or  rod  of 
Bacchus  was  elevated,  to  perpetuate  the  remembrance  of 
two  remarkable  miracles  which  the  god  was  reputed  to 
have  performed  with  this  all-powerful  instrument.  On 
one  occasion  he  cast  his  rod  upon  the  ground  and  it 
became  a  serpent,  and  afterward  he  struck  the  two 
rivers  Orontes  and  Hydaspes  with  it,  and  the  waters 
immediately  receded  and  he  passed  over  dry-shod. 

When  Mythology  became  converted  into  romance, 
we  find  the  same  virtue  transferred  into  the  wand  of 
the  magician ;  without  which  he  would  have  been  ac- 
counted powerless,  and  his  art  vain.  Even  the  rod  of 
forked  hazel  which,  in  the  Middle  Ages  (and  even  to 
this  day),  was  supposed,  in  the  hand  of  an  adept,  to 
be  capable  of  discovering  hidden  treasure,  or  detecting 


COINCIDENCES    WITH    THE   MYSTERIES.  43 

concealed  springs  of  water,  was  dignified  with  the  name 
of  Moses'  rod. 

From  the  above  collection  of  facts  and  reasonings  we 
may  gather  whence  our  ancient  brethren,  whose  example 
we  have  copied  in  this  particular,  derived  the  use  of  / 
wands  as  ensigns  of  office  ;  for  the  custom  unquestionably 
accompanied  all  the  genuine  Masonry  which  we  find  in  ? 
all  ages  of  the  world. 

It  still  continues  to  be  an  emblem  of  authority  in 
every  grade  of  civilized  society,  though  under  different 
appellations.  When  wielded  by  a  monarch,  it  is  termed 
a  sceptre  ;  in  the  hands  of  a  bishop,  it  is  a  crosier  ;  of  a 
general  or  marshal,  a  baton  ;  and  the  civic  mace  of  our 
municipal  corporations,  and  the  constable's  staff,  have 
precisely  and  severally  the  same  reference  ;  all  of  which, 
with  the  deacons7  rods,  may  be  deduced  from  Moses' 
rod. 

All  these  examples  bear  on  the  masonic  rod  or  wand, 
which  is  used  as  an  ensign  of  office  and  dignity.  This 
emblem  teaches  moderation  to  rulers  and  obedience  to 
the  brethren.  Subordination  is  the  broad  and  imperish- 
able basis  on  which  alone  can  rest  the  stability  of  any 
institution. 

There  is  no  one  of  the  symbols  of  Masonry  more  im- 
portant in  its  teachings,  or  more  interesting  in  its  history, 
than  that  of  the  lambskin  or  white  leather  apron.  It  is 
impressed  upon  the  Mason's  memory  as  the  first  gift 
which  he  receives,  the  first  symbol  that  is  explained  to 
him,  and  the  first  tangible  evidence  which  he  possesses 
of  his  admission  into  the  fraternity. 

Whatever  may  be  his  future  advancement  in  the  royal 
art,  into  whatsoever  deeper  arcana  his  devotion  to  the 
mystic  institution  or  his  thirst  for  knowledge  may  subse- 


44  TRADITIONS    OF    FREEMASONRY. 

quently  lead  him,  with  the  lambskin  apron — his  first  in- 
vesture — he  never  parts.  Changing,  perhaps,  its  form 
and  its  decorations,  and  conveying  at  each  step  some 
new  but  still  beautiful  allusion,  its  substance  is  still 
there,  and  it  continues  to  claim  the  honored  title  by 
which  it  was  first  made  known  to  him  at  the  time  of  his 
initiation — "  the  badge  of  a  Mason." 

The  apron  or  girdle,  in  ancient  times,  was  a  uni- 
versally received  emblem  of  truth  and  passive  duty. 
The  Israelites,  when  preparing  to  effect  their  escape  from 
Egyptian  captivity,  were  enjoined  to  eat  the  Passover 
with  their  loins  girded.  Job  is  commanded  to  gird  up 
his  loins  like  a  man,  when  the  Almighty  is  about  to  re- 
ward his  patience  and  constancy.  At  the  consecration 
of  Aaron  he  is  invested  with  this  symbolical  article  of 
apparel.  When  Samuel  was  received  into  the  ministry, 
though  but  a  child,  he  was  girded  with  a  linen  ephod. 
David,  in  the  height  of  his  exultation  at  the  recovery  of 
the  Ark,  danced  before  it,  invested  with  the  same  gar- 
ment. Elijah  the  Tishbite,  and  John  the  Baptist,  were 
both  girded  with  an  apron  of  (white)  leather. 

Among  the  primitive  Masons,  this  badge  received 
a  characteristic  distinction  from  its  peculiar  color  and 
material ;  and  was,  indeed,  an  unequivocal  mark  of  su- 
perior dignity.  The  investure  of  the  apron  formed  an 
essential  part  of  the  ceremony  of  initiation,  and  was 
attended  with  rites  equally  significant  and  impressive. 
With  the  Essenian  Masons,  it  was  accomplished  by  a 
process  bearing  a  similar  tendency,  and  accompanied  by 
illustrations  not  less  imposing  and  satisfactory  to  the 
newly  initiated  inquirer.  He  was  clothed  in  a  long 
WHITE  robe  which  reached  to  the  ground,  bordered  with 
a  fringe  of  blue  ribbon  to  incite  personal  holiness,  and 


COINCIDENCES    WITH    THE    MYSTERIES.  45 

fastened  tightly  around  the  waist  with  a  girdle  or  zone 
to  separate  the  heart  from  the  lower  and  more  impure 
parts  of  the  "body.  With  feet  bare  and  head  uncovered, 
he  was  considered  a  personification  of  modesty,  humility, 
and  the  fear  of  God. 

It  was  the  firm  opinion  of  the  Essenes  that  internal 
purity  and  rectitude  of  conduct  were  most  strikingly 
evinced  by  a  person's  outward  appearance.  This  belief 
was  probably  derived  from  that  famous  precept  of  King 
Solomon,  who  had  constantly  the  same  emblematical 
reference  on  his  lips :  "  Let  thy  garments  le  always 
WHITE." 

When  a  candidate  was  initiated  into  the  ancient  mys- 
teries, he  was  esteemed  regenerate ;  and  he  was  invested 
with  a  white  garment  and  apron  as  a  symbol  of  his 
newly  attained  purity. 

Among  the  Greeks  the  garment  of  initiation  was 
white,  because,  says  Cicero,  white  is  a  color  most  ac- 
ceptable to  the  gods.  This  robe  was  accounted  sacred, 
and  a  never-failing  source  of  protection  in  every  emer- 
gency. 

In  Persia  the  investure  was  exceedingly  splendid,  and 
succeeded  to  the  communication  of  light.  In  Hindostan 
the  aspirant,  with  similar  ceremonies,  was  solemnly  in- 
vested with  the  consecrated  sash  or  girdle.  The 
Japanese,  for  among  them  we  find  the  mysteries,  present 
the  candidate  with  a  loose  tunic  and  white  apron.  In 
the  last  degree  of  the  Druidical  rites  the  candidate  was 
solemnly  invested  with  a  flowing  robe  of  the  purest  white, 
ornamented  with  amulets  and  gems  of  gold,  as  a  badge 
of  the  highest  order  that  could  be  conferred  ;  for  none 
were  admitted  to  the  honor  of  this  clothing,  but  such  as 
were  deemed  absolutely  cleansed  from  all  impurities 


46  TRADITIONS    OP    FREEMASONRY. 

both  of  body  and  mind,  which  could  only  be  effected  by 
the  process  of  initiation. 

The  masonic  apron  is  said  to  be  more  ancient  than 
the  badge  of  any  other  honorable  institution.  It  was 
used  before  the  Greeks  or  Komans  had  a  name.  The 
Argonautic  expedition  is  now  generally  believed  to  be 
only  a  figurative  account  of  the  Deluge,  and  the  apron 
is  unquestionably  more  ancient  than  that  event ;  it  was 
therefore  worn  before  the  establishment  of  the  mysteries. 
We  are  certain,  from  undeniable  authority,  that  the  apron 
was  the  first  species  of  clothing  with  which  mankind 
were  acquainted,  and  was  adopted  before  the  expulsion 
of  our  great  progenitors  from  the  Garden  of  Eden. 
When  they  had  violated  the  original  compact  their  eyes 
were  opened  to  a  sense  of  guilt  and  shame,  and  they  saw 
that  they  were  naked.  Decency  suggested  the  neces- 
sary expedient  of  covering  themselves  with  aprons. 
All  the  ancient  statues  of  the  heathen  gods  which  have 
been  discovered  in  Egypt,  Greece,  Persia,  Hindostan  or 
America  are  uniformly  decorated  with  aprons.  Hence 
is  deduced  the  antiquity  of  this  article  of  apparel. 

It  is  further  declared  to  be  "  more  honorable,"  etc. 
The  apron  appears  to  have  been,  in  ancient  times,  an 
honorary  badge  of  distinction.  In  the  Jewish  economy, 
none  but  the  superior  orders  of  the  priesthood  were  per- 
mitted to  adorn  themselves  with  ornamental  girdles, 
which  were  made  of  blue,  purple  and  crimson,  decorated 
with  gold  upon  a  ground  of  fine  white  linen,  while  the 
inferior  priests  wore  only  a  plain  white  one.  Though 
the  principal  honor  of  the  apron  may  consist  in  its  refer- 
ence to  innocency  of  conduct  and  purity  of  heart,  yet  it 
certainly  appears,  through  all  ages,  to  have  been  a  badge 
of  most  exalted  diptinction. 


COINCIDENCES    WITH    THE    MYSTERIES.  47 

In  primitive  times  it  was  rather  an  ecclesiastical  than 
a  civil  decoration,  although  in  some  cases  the  apron  was 
elevated  to  great  superiority  as  a  national  trophy.  The 
royal  standard  of  Persia  was  originally  an  apron  in 
form  and  dimensions.  At  this  day  it  is  connected  with  ec- 
clesiastical honors ;  for  the  chief  dignitaries  of  the  Church, 
whenever  an  establishment  with  the  necessary  degrees 
of  rank  and  subordination  is  formed,  are  invested  with 
aprons  as  a  peculiar  badge  of  distinction,  which  is  a  col- 
lateral proof  of  the  fact  that  Masonry  was  originally  in- 
corporated with  the  various  systems  of  divine  worship 
used  by  every  people  in  the  ancient  world.  Masonry 
retains  the  symbol  or  shadow,  it  cannot  have  renounced 
the  reality  or  substance. 


CHAPTEE  III. 


ENTERED   APPRENTICE —  CONTINUED. 

THE  Twenty-four  inch  Gauge  and  Common  Gavel  —  Symbolism  —Tradition 
of  King  Alfred  —  Of  Sts.  Ambrose  and  Augustine—  Cabalistic  explica- 
tion of  the  Division  of  the  Day  —  Babylonians  first  divided  the  Day  into 
twenty-four  parts  —  Chaldees  gave  the  Names  to  the  Days  of  the  Week 
—  Egyptians  indebted  to  Abraham  for  their  knowledge  of  Astronomy 
and  Arithmetic  — Tradition  why  Abraham  left  Ur  of  the  Chaldees  — 
Situation  of  the  Lodge  —  Its  Form  —  Origin  of  the  word  Lodge  —  Cowan, 
origin  of  the  word  —  Traditional  Punishment  of  a  Cowan  —  Veneration 
for  high  Hills  and  low  Valleys  —  Paradise  stood  on  elevated  ground  — 
Supports  of  a  Lodge  —  Coincidences  with  the  Ancient  Mysteries  —  Con- 
veyed the  Idea  of  the  Trinity  of  the  Godhead  —  Moses  had  a  knowledge 
of  the  Doctrine — Wisdom,  Strength  and  Beauty,  curious  coincidence  — 
Jacob's  Ladder  —  Tradition  of  his  Journey  —  His  Vision  —  Custom  of 
setting  up  Stones  in  Oriental  countries  —  Children  of  Seth  resided  on 
the  Paradisiacal  Mount  —  Arabic  Tradition  of  the  Children  of  Seth  — 
Similar  Hebrew  Tradition  —  Coincidences  in  the  use  of  the  Ladder  as  a 
symbol — Square  —  Tradition  of  the  use  of  the  Square  in  Egypt — As 
an  Emblem  of  Office  —  Mosaic  or  Musaic  Pavement  —  Antiquity  of  its 
use  —  Used  by  the  Ancient  Britons,  Romans,  Assyrians,  Persians, 
Greeks  and  Egyptians  —  Traditions  of  Isis  —  Symbolism  of  the  Mosaic 
Pavement  —  Blazing  Star  —  Sabaism  —  The  Dog  Star. 

THE  twenty-four  inch  gauge  is  to  measure  and  ascertain 
the  extent  of  any  building,  that  the  expenses  may  be  ac- 
curately computed.  Hence  we  derive  a  lesson  of  instruc- 
tion. It  recalls  to  our  mind  the  division  of  the  day  into 
twenty-four  hours,  and  directs  us  to  apportion  them  to 
prayer,  labor,  refreshment  and  repose.  It  may  be  fur- 
ther considered  as  the  scale  which  comprehends  the 
numerical  apportionment  of  the  different  degrees,  accord- 
ing to  the  several  lodges. 

(48) 


COINCIDENCES    WITH    THE    MYSTERIES.  49 

The  common  gavel  is  an  important  instrument  of  labor, 
without  which  no  work  of  manual  skill  can  be  completed. 
From  which  we  learn  that  skill  without  industry  will  be 
of  no  avail  ;  that  labor  is  the  lot  of  man,  for  the  heart 
may  conceive  and  the  head  devise  in  vain,  if  the  hand  be 
not  prompt  to  execute. 

Hume,  in  his  History  of  England,  says  of  King  Alfred 
who  died  A.  D.  900,  that  he  "  usually  divided  his  time 
in  three  equal  portions  :  one  was  employed  in  sleep  and 
the  refection  of  his  body  by  diet  and  exercise  ;  another, 
in  the  dispatch  of  business  ;  and  a  third  in  study  and 
devotion.  That  he  might  more  exactly  measure  the 
hours,  he  made  use  of  burning  tapers  of  equal  lengths, 
which  he  fixed  in  lanterns ;  an  expedient  suited  to  that 
rude  age,  when  the  art  of  describing  sun-dials  and  the 
mechanism  of  clocks  and  watches  were  totally  unknown. 
By  this  regular  distribution  of  time,  though  he  often 
labored  under  great  bodily  infirmities,  this  martial  hero, 
who  fought  in  person  fifty-six  battles  by  sea  and  land, 
was  able,  during  a  life  of  no  extraordinary  length,  to  ac- 
quire more  knowledge  and  even  to  compose  more  books 
than  most  studious  men,  blessed  with  greater  leisure  and 
application,  have  done  in  more  fortunate  ages." 

St.  Ambrose,  and  from  his  example,  St.  Augustine, 
divided  every  day  into  eight  tertias  of  employment :  eight 
hours  they  spent  in  the  necessities  of  nature  and  recrea- 
tion ;  eight  hours  in  charity,  and  doing  assistance  to 
others,  dispatching  their  businesses,  reconciling  their  en- 
mities, reproving  their  vices,  correcting  their  errors,  in- 
structing their  ignorances,  transacting  the  affairs  of  their 
diocesses  ;  and  the  other  eight  hours  they  spent  in  study 
and  prayer. 

The  following  from  the  Cabalists,  relative  to  the  divis- 
3 


50  TRADITIONS    OF    FREEMASONRY. 

sion  of  the  day  into  hours  may  not  be  uninteresting: 
"  The  value  of  the  characters  in  the  awful  name  of  JAH, 
Hi,  is  15,  or,  in  other  words,  9  +  6  ;  and  that  taking  any 
of  the  names  or  attributes  of  the  Deity,  the  Hebrew  char- 
acters denoting  those  names  may  be  all  reduced  to  either 
the  number  9  or  15,  and  9  +  15=24;  the  former  being 
the  seal  of  truth,  and  the  latter  the  number  of  the  Deity, 
and  by  these  two  numbers  the  whole  of  our  time  is  regu- 
lated. Thus,  if  we  observe,  the  hammer  of  a  clock  will 
strike  78  [times]  in  12  hours,  the  numerals  7  and  8  added 
make  15.  In  the  first  minute  of  light  we  have  60  seconds, 
in  which  we  discover  4  times  15,  the  number  4  being  also 
symbolical.  In  the  first  quarter  of  an  hour  we  have  15 
minutes ;  in  the  natural  day  we  have  24  hours,  which 
being  once  9,  the  seal  of  truth,  and  once  15,  the  number 
of  the  Deity,  seems  intended  to  remind  us  of  the  faith  we 
ought  to  exercise  in  his  unbounded  goodness." 

According  to  Herodotus,  the  Babylonian  priests  first 
divided  the  day  into  twenty-four  equal  parts  ;  and  sub- 
sequently their  neighbors,  the  Chaldees,  who  were  much 
addicted  to  astrological  speculations,  assigned  to  the 
days  of  the  week  the  planetary  names  which  they  still 
retain.  Conceiving  that  every  hour  of  the  day  was  un- 
der its  governing  planet,  by  a  rotary  motion,  they  ap- 
propriated to  each  day  the  name  of  the  planet  which 
appeared  to  govern  the  first  hour  of  it ;  whence  the  days 
had  an  astronomical  origin.  The  method  was  this  :  Be- 
ginning with  the  first  day  after  the  Creation,  and  arrang- 
ing the  planets  thus — Sol,  Venus,  Mercury,  Luna,  Saturn, 
Jupiter,  Mars,  they  named  the  first  day  after  the  sun. 
Thus  Venus  would  govern  the  second,  ninth,  sixteenth 
and  twenty-third  hours  ;  Mercury  the  third,  tenth,  seven- 
teenth and  twenty-fourth ;  which  would  consequently  give 


COINCIDENCES  WITH  THE  MYSTERIES.  51 

to  Luna  the  first  hour  of  the  second  day,  which  was 
named  Dies  Lunge,  and  so  on  of  the  rest. 

Eusebius  says  that  Abraham  taught  the  Egyptians 
arithmetic  and  astrology,  of  which  they  were  previously 
ignorant.  And  he  adds,  from  Eupolemus,  that  the  pa- 
triarch was  on  the  most  familiar  terms  with  the  Egyptian 
priests  at  Heliopolis,  when  he  dwelt  there  during  the 
famine  in  Canaan,  and  taught  them  many  things,  partic- 
ularly a  knowledge  of  the  celestial  sciences. 

An  ancient  tradition  assigns  a  reason  why  Abraham 
left  Ur  of  the  Chaldees,  as  follows  : 

Abraham,  having  come  to  Ur  of  the  Chaldees  from  his 
native  country  Haran,-  found  that  they  worshiped  the 
sun  and  adored  it  as  a  god,  and  were  ignorant  of  the 
First  Cause.  As  was  his  custom,  he  argued  with  the  heads 
of  the  city,  and  having  demonstrated  their  error  to  them, 
and  that  the  sun  was  only  a  minister  and  one  of  the  in- 
struments of  the  Almighty  Creator,  the  king  resolved  to 
seize  him,  and  he  was  imprisoned  for  some  days.  In  the 
meanwhile  he  continued  his  arguments,  and  the  king, 
fearing  that  he  might  bring  over  his  subjects  to  his  re- 
ligion and  thereby  occasion  him  the  loss  of  his  sceptre, 
confiscated  his  property  and  banished  him  to  the  confines 
of  the  East.  Maimonides  relates  this  story  in  his  Guide, 
testifying  that  he  had  seen  it  in  the  Gentile  chronicles 
and  books.  The  Talmud  has  it  that  ISTimrod  had  Abraham 
thrown  into  the  fire,  as  a  punishment  for  his  opinions ; 
and  that  God,  either  directly  or  by  means  of  the  Angel 
Michael,  took  him  from  it  uninjured,  as  he  subsequently 
did  Hananiah,  Mishael  and  Azariah. 

We  commemorate  the  deliverance  of  the  Children  of 
Israel  from  Egyptian  bondage  by  the  situation  of  our 
lodges.  A  lodge  is  situated  due  east  and  west,  and  in 


62  TRADITIONS    OF    FREEMASONRY. 

form  is  an  oblong  square ;  in  length,  between  the  east 
and  west ;  in  breadth,  between  the  north  and  south  ;  in 
heighth,  from  earth  to  heaven  ;  and  in  depth,  from  surface 
to  centre.  This  disposition  serves  to  indicate  the  prev- 
alence of  Freemasonry  over  the  whole  face  of  the  globe, 
guarded  by  its  laws  and  ornamented  by  the  incorruptible 
virtue  of  its  members. 

The  form  of  the  lodge  ought  to  be  a  double  cube,  as 
an  expressive  emblem  of  the  united  powers  of  darkness 
and  light  in  the  Creation.  This  figure  was  esteemed  sa- 
cred throughout  the  world  ;  and  the  ark  of  the  covenant, 
and  the  altar  of  incense,  were  both  double  cubes. 

The  word  lodge  comes  from  the  Sanscrit  loga,  which, 
in  the  sacred  language  of  the  Ganges,  signifies  world, 
of  which  every  lodge  is  indeed  a  representation.  To 
what  we  call  lodge  the  Persians  gave  the  name  jehan, 
whence,  perhaps,  by  corruption  and  pleonasm,  comes  our 
expression,  a  lodge  of  St.  John. 

"  Before  we  had  the  convenience  of  such  well  formed 
lodges,  the  brethren  used  to  meet  on  the  highest  of  hills 
and  the  lowest  of  valleys.  And  if  they  were  asked  why 
they  met  so  high,  so  low,  and  so  very  secret,  they  replied, 
'  The  better  to  see  and  observe  all  that  might  ascend 
or  descend  ;  and  in  case  a  cowan  should  appear,  the  Tyler 
might  give  timely  notice  to  the  Worshipful  Master,  by 
which  means  the  lodge  might  be  closed  and  the  jewels 
put  by,  thereby  preventing  any  unlawful  intrusion.' " 

In  Egypt,  cohen  was  the  title  of  a  priest  or  prince  and 
a  term  of  honor.  Bryant,  speaking  of  the  harpies,  says  : 
"  They  were  priests  of  the  sun  ;  and  as  cohen  was  the  name 
of  a  dog  as  well  as  a  priest,  they  were  termed  by  Apol- 
lonius,  '  dogs  of  Jove.' "  Now  St.  John  cautions  the 
Christian  brethren  that  "  without  are  dogs,"  (kuon)  cow 


COINCIDENCES  WITH   THE   MYSTERIES.  53 

ans  or  listeners,  and  St.  Paul  exhorts  the  Christians  to 
"  beware  of  dogs,"  because  they  are  evil-workers.  Now, 
(kuon)  a  dog,  or  evil  worker,  is  the  masonic  cowan.  The 
above  priests  or  metaphorical  dogs  were  also  called 
Cercyonians  or  Cer-cowans,  because  they  were  lawless 
in  their  behavior  toward  strangers. 

In  the  lectures  or  examination  questions  in  use  in  the 
fifteenth  century  the  following  curious  punishment  was 
inflicted  on  a  detected  cowan  :  "  To  be  placed  under  the 
eaves  of  the  house  in  rainy  weather,  till  the  water  runs 
in  at  his  shoulders  and  out  at  his  shoes."  Hence,  a  listener 
is  called  an  eavesdropper. 

Hills  or  mountains  were  always  considered  the  peculiar 
abode  of  the  Deity ;  and  hence  the  masonic  tradition 
that  our  ancient  brethren  held  their  lodges  most  fre- 
quently on  the  highest  of  hills.  The  veneration  for  hills 
or  secret  caverns  induced  the  construction  of  temples  for 
divine  worship  in  such  situations.  The  custom  was  im- 
itated in  the  early  ages  of  Christianity,  for  our  ancient 
churches  are  usually  erected  on  hills  either  natural  or 
artificial  •  and  beneath  the  foundations  of  those  which 
are  cathedral  or  collegiate,  crypts  were  usually  con- 
structed for  private  devotion  and  other  secret  purposes. 

Hill  and  cavern  temples  were  common  in  every  nation 
of  the  ancient  world.  Before  the  Flood,  as  we  are  in* 
formed  by  tradition,  mountains  and  hills  were  held  in 
very  high  estimation.  The  posterity  of  Seth — those  sons 
of  light  who  practiced  our  sublime  art  in  its  infancy — 
are  reputed  to  have  conversed  with  angels  on  the  summit 
of  holy  mountains,  in  secret  conclaves  from  which  the 
apostate  race  were  carefully  excluded. 

The  practice  must  have  arisen  from  a  fixed  persuasion 
that  the  summit  of  mountains  made  a  nearer  approach  to 


54  TRADITIONS   OF   FREEMASONRY. 

the  celestial  deities  than  the  level  country,  and  that 
therefore  the  prayers  of  mortals  were  more  likely  to  be 
heard  in  such  situations.  And  this  belief  might  be  de- 
rived from  the  record  of  facts  which  actually  took  place 
among  the  Jews.  The  Deity  appeared  in  communion 
with  Abraham  on  the  high  peak  of  Moriah ;  to  Moses, 
in  a  flame  of  fire  on  Mount  Horeb,  and  amid  thunder- 
ings  and  lightnings  and  noises  at  Sinai,  all  of  which 
mountains  were  declared  holy. 

The  traditional  meetings  of  the  fraternity  of  Free  and 
Accepted  Masons  in  the  lowest  of  valleys  or  sacred 
crypts  in  these  holy  hills  originated  from  an  ancient  be- 
lief, derived  from  patriarchal  observance  and  common 
with  all  nations,  that  valleys  were  holy  places.  Numer- 
ous instances  are  recorded  in  the  Scriptures  of  the  erec- 
tion of  altars  for  sacrificial  purposes  in  valleys.  And  our 
traditions  further  inform  us  that  lodges  were  regularly 
opened,  by  the  brethren  employed  to  prepare  the  mate- 
rials for  the  Temple  of  Solomon,  in  the  deep  quarries  of 
Tyre. 

There  remains  abundant  evidences  that  high  hills  or 
low  valleys  were  the  situations  selected  for  the  celebra- 
tion of  their  religious  rites  as  in  Palestine,  so  in  Greece, 
India,  Egypt,  Rome,  China,  Assyria,  Britain,  Mexico,  and 
the  remote  regions  of  Northern  Europe  ;  and  where 
hills  did  not  exist  they  were  constructed  artificially. 

The  frequent  manifestations  of  Jehovah's  presence  on 
high  hills  is  a  satisfactory  solution  of  the  veneration  en- 
tertained by  the  Israelites  for  such  places,  but  the  people 
of  other  countries  must  have  been  influenced  by  other 
reasons.  The  custom,  existing  in  all  nations,  must  have 
had  some  great  primitive  starting-point,  which  was  cither 
the  Mount  of  Paradise  or  Mount  Ararat. 


COINCIDENCES  WITH  THE  MYSTERIES.  55 

Moses  says,  "  And  a  river  went  out  of  Eden  to  water 
the  garden ;  and  from  thence  it  was  parted  and  became  into 
four  heads.'7  Paradise  then  must  have  stood  on  elevated 
ground,  and  it  was  consecrated  in  the  religious  estimation 
of  men,  because  it  was  the  residence  of  the  first  pair  so 
long  as  they  continued  in  a  state  of  innocence.  The  feel- 
ings of  religious  respect  which  were  entertained  for 
mountains  were  rather  increased  than  diminished  after 
the  Flood,  for  the  Ark  rested  on  Mount  Ararat,  which 
was  consequently  regarded  as  the  Mount  of  Salvation. 

The  emblematical  foundations  or  supports  of  a  Masonic 
Lodge  are  three  pillars,  denominated  Wisdom,  Strength 
and  Beauty.  These  three  noble  pillars  give  it  a  stability 
which  no  exertion  of  art  or  ingenuity  can  subvert,  and  no 
force  can  overthrow.  They  were  thus  named  in  allusion 
to  the  perfection  with  which  our  system  has  been  en- 
dowed by  the  Almighty  Architect ;  because,  without  wis- 
dom to  contrive,  strength  to  support,  and  beauty  to 
adorn,  no  structure  can  be  perfect. 

The  lectures  say  that  these  pillars  are  emblematical  of 
the  three  great  masonic  characters,  whose  united  abil- 
ities constructed  the  temple  at  Jerusalem  ;  for  they 
jointly  possessed  the  essential  properties  which  character- 
ize the  three  great  sustaining  pillars  of  a  lodge  ;  the  one 
had  wisdom  to  contrive,  another  had  strength  to  sup- 
port, and  the  third  possessed  genius  and  ability  to  adorn 
the  edifice  with  unexampled  beauty. 

In  the  ancient  mysteries  these  three  pillars  represented 
the  great  emblematical  Triad  of  Deity,  as  with  us  they 
refer  to  the  three  principal  officers  of  the  lodge.  In  the 
British  mysteries  the  adytum  or  lodge  was  actually  sup- 
ported by  three  stones  or  pillars,  which  were  supposed  to 
convey  a  regenerating  purity  to  the  aspirant,  after  hav- 


56  TRADITIONS    OF    FREEMASONRY. 

ing  endured  the  ceremony  of  initiation  in  all  its  ac- 
customed formalities.  The  delivery  from  between  them 
was  termed  a  new  birth. 

The  corresponding  pillars  of  the  Hindu  mysteries  were 
also  known  by  the  names  of  Wisdom,  Strength  and 
Beauty,  and  placed  east,  ivest  and  south,  crowned  with 
three  human  heads.  They  were  jointly  referred  to  "the 
Creator,  who  was  said  to  have  planned  the  great  work 
by  his  infinite  wisdom,  executed  it  by  his  strength,  and 
to  have  adorned  it  with  all  its  beauty  and  usefulness  for 
the  benefit  of  man.  In  these  mysteries,  Brahma,  Vishnu, 
Siva,  were  considered  as  a  triune  God,  distinguished  by 
the  significant  appellation  Tri-murti,  or  any  shape  or  ap- 
pearance assumed  by  a  celestial  being.  Brahma  was  said 
to  be  the  creator,  Vishnu  the  preserver,  and  Siva  the 
judge  or  destroyer.  In  the  east,  as  the  pillar  of  wis- 
dom, this  deity  was  called  Brahma  ;  in  the  west,  as  the 
pillar  of  strength,  Vishnu  ;  and  in  the  south,  as  the  pil- 
lar of  beauty,  Siva  ;  and  hence  in  the  Indian  initiations 
the  representative  of  Brahma  was  seated  in  the  east, 
that  of  Vishnu  in  the  west,  and  that  of  Siva  in  the  south. 
A  very  remarkable  coincidence  with  the  practice  of  an- 
cient Masonry. 

The  Persians,  who  termed  their  emblematical  mithratic 
cave  or  lodge  the  Empyrean  feigned  it  to  be  supported 
by  three  intelligences, — Ormisda,  Mithra  and  Mithras  ; 
who  were  usually  denominated,  from  certain  character- 
istics which  they  were  supposed  individually  to  possess, 
Eternity,  Fecundity  and  Authority. 

Similar  to  this  were  the  forms  of  the  Egyptian  deity, 
designated  by  the  attributes  of  Wisdom,  Power  and 
Goodness  ;  and  the  Sovereign  Good,  Intellect  and  Energy 
of  the  Platonists,  which  were  also  regarded  as  the  res- 
pective properties  of  the  Divine  Triad. 


COINCIDENCES   WITH  THE   MYSTERIES.  57 

It  is  remarkable  that  every  mysterious  system  prac- 
ticed on  the  habitable  globe  contained  this  Triad  of 
Deity,  which  some  writers  refer  to  the  Trinity,  others  to 
the  triple  offspring  of  Noah,  and  others  to  the  three 
sons  of  Adam — Abel,  Cain  and  Seth.  The  oracle  in 
Damascus  asserted  that  "  throughout  the  world  a  Triad 
shines  forth,  which  resolves  itself  into  a  Monod"  and  the 
uniform  symbol  of  this  threefold  deity  was  an  equilateral 
triangle,  the  precise  form  occupied  by  our  pillars  of  Wis- 
dom, Strength  and  Beauty. 

Numerous  passages  in  the  writings  of  Moses  demon- 
strate that  he  had  a  knowledge  of  the  triune  personalities 
of  Jehovah.  He  uses  the  plural  appellation  of  God  at 
least  thirty  times  in  the  history  of  the  Creation.  There 
exists  ample  reasons  for  believing  that  Moses  compiled 
the  beginning  of  the  Book  of  Genesis  from  preexistent 
records,  and  as  in  this  book  he  uses  language  which 
clearly  teaches  a  plurality  of  persons  in  the  Divine  na- 
ture, we  are  forced  to  the  conclusion  that  such  knowl- 
edge was  communicated  to  man  in  the  earliest  period  of 
his  history. 

The  tradition  was  sufficiently  well  known  to  impress 
its  character  upon  the  mysteries  previous  to  the  Disper- 
sion, but  in  process  of  time  the  true  nature  of  the  doc- 
trine, in  common  with  many  other  dogmas,  was  lost  sight 
of  in  the  corruptions  of  the  times,  and  at  the  period  of 
the  birth  of  Christ  was  only  taught  within  the  tyled 
recesses  of  what  are  now  termed  Masonic  Lodges. 

A  very  curious  coincidence  has  been  observed  by  an 
English  writer  in  respect  to  the  Hebrew  words  for  wis- 
dom, strength  and  beauty,  so  striking  is  the  coincidence 
that  it  can  scarcely  be  called  accidental.  -Q*-;  Dabar, 
wisdom;  *n^  Own,  strength;  <\ud  -y^  Gomer  beauty. 

3J4 


58  TRADITIONS    OF    FREEMASONRY. 

Now  take  the  initials  of  these  words  and  spell  them,  from 
right  to  left,  according  to  the  genius  of  the  Hebrew  lan- 
guage, and  you  have  GOD,  as  the  archetype  of  that  wis- 
dom, strength  and  beauty  which  supports  and  sustains 
a  Masonic  Lodge,  and  whose  name  is  thus  formed  by 
the  initials  of  these  attributes. 

In  the  Ladder  we  find  another  remarkable  coincidence 
in  the  use  of  the  same  symbol,  in  the  masonic  institution 
and  the  ancient  mysteries,  to  inculcate  the  same  idea. 

In  the  Masonic  Lodges  the  symbol  has  received  the 
appellation  of  Jacob's  Ladder,  in  consonance  with  a  tra- 
dition recorded  by  Moses. 

Rebecca,  the  wife  of  Isaac,  well  knowing  there  was  a 
peculiar  blessing  divinely  confided  to  her  husband,  was 
resolved  to  obtain  it  for  her  youngest  son,  Jacob,  al- 
though by  birthright  it  belonged  to  Esau,  her  first-born  ; 
she  no  sooner,  by  fraud,  had  obtained  this  blessing  for 
Jacob  than  he  was  obliged  to  flee  from  the  wrath  of  his 
brother,  who  proposed,  in  his  mind,  to  slay  him  as  he 
journeyed  to  Padanaram,  in  the  land  of  Mesopotamia, 
where,  by  his  parents'  strict  command,  he  was  enjoined 
to  go.  Coming  to  a  desert  plain,  and  the  sun  being 
down,  he  was  obliged  to  take  up  his  abode  there  for  the 
night,  where  ho  had  the  cold  earth  for  his  bed,  a  stone 
for  his  pillow,  and  the  canopy  of  heaven  for  his  cover- 
ing ;  and  as  he  slumbered,  in  a  vision  he  saw  a  ladder. 

Of  this  vision  Josephus  says  :  "  Jacob  imagined  that 
he  saw  a  ladder  placed  on  the  earth,  the  top  of  which 
reached  to  the  skies  •  and  that  a  number  of  figures,  re- 
sembling in  form  the  human  race,  but  far  exceeding  them 
in  size,  and  in  the  lustre  of  their  appearance,  were  con- 
tinually passing  and  re-passing  uj  and  down  the  rounds 
thereof ;  the  Almighty  appearing  in  person  at  the  top, 


COINCIDENCES  WITH  THE  MYSTERIES.  59 

and  speaking  to  him  in  these  words  :  '  You,  Jacob,  who 
are  descended  from  Isaac  and  Abraham,  men  deservedly 
famous  for  their  faith  and  virtue,  instead  of  desponding 
of  my  care  and  protection,  under  any  degree  of  affliction 
whatever,  ought  rather  to  submit  cheerfully  to  your  pres- 
ent troubles,  with  a  firm  reliance  on  me  to  extricate  you 
from  your  difficulties.  Place  your  trust  in  me,  and  be 
assured  you  shall  experience  happier  days.  It  was  I 
who  brought  Abraham  out  of  Mesopotamia  when  he  was 
driven  from  his  possessions  by  his  own  family  ;  it  was  I 
who  showered  down  blessings  on  your  father,  through 
the  whole  course  of  his  life  ;  and  I  am  determined,  if  you 
will  render  yourself  deserving  of  my  favor,  to  transfer  to 
you  those  blessings  which  I  formerly  conferred  on  your 
ancestors.  The  business  which  is  the  object  of  your 
present  journey  shall  succeed  to  your  wish  ;  you  shall  be- 
come the  father  of  dutiful  children,  and  your  progeny  shall 
be  without  number.  To  them  and  their  posterity  will  I 
give  this  land  as  an  inheritance ;  and  they  shall  plant 
colonies  throughout  the  whole  earth,  and  the  islands,  as 
far  as  the  sun  extends  its  influence.  Let  nothing  there- 
fore discourage  you  ;  but  place  an  implicit  confidence  in 
my  protection,  not  only  on  the  present  occasion,  but  in 
all  cases  in  future/  " 

Overpowered  with  this  effulgence  of  glory,  Jacob 
awoke.  Darkness  was  over  the  face  of  the  earth,  and, 
filled  with  reverence  and  godly  fear,  he  exclaimed : 
"  How  dreadful  is  this  place !  This  is  none  other  but 
the  house  of  God,  and  this  is  the  gate  of  Heaven."  And 
when  daylight  appeared,  he  arose  and  set  up  the  stone 
for  a  pillar  and  poured  oil  upon  it,  and  changed  the 
name  of  the  place  from  Luz  to  Bethel,  or  the  House  of 
God. 


60  TRADITIONS  OF   FREEMASONRY. 

Tourists  in  Persia  and  Arabia  have  frequently  re 
marked  the  custom  of  guides  and  Oriental  travelers,  on 
high  roads  leading  to  great  towns,  setting  up  a  stone 
when  they  first  caine  in  sight  of  the  town,  accompanied 
with  a  pious  ejaculation  in  token  of  safe  arrival. 

An  event  of  such  importance,  connected  with  a  very 
significant  emblem,  which  was  probably  a  square  pyra- 
mid with  steps  on  every  side,  might  with  unequivocal 
effect  be  introduced  by  Jacob  into  the  Masonry  which 
he  taught  to  his  children,  arid  from  them  be  transplanted 
into  the  mysteries  of  Egypt,  whence  it  might  have  been 
carried  into  other  countries,  until  the  symbol  became 
common  to  the  mysteries  of  all.  The  extended  use  of 
the  symbol  would  go  to  confirm  the  old  and  somewhat 
obscure  tradition,  that  the  ascent  to  the  summit  of  the 
paradisiacal  mount  of  God  was  made  by  means  of  a 
pyramid  consisting  of  seven  steps. 

The  Hebrew  Cabalists  entertained  a  belief  that  the 
paradisiacal  mount  was  the  place  of  residence  chosen  by 
the  children  of  Seth,  while  the  contaminated  descendants 
of  Cain  resided  in  the  plain  below  ;  and  its  altitude  was 
said  to  be  so  great,  that  from  its  summit  might  be  heard 
the  angels  of  heaven  singing  their  celestial  anthems  be- 
fore the  throne  of  God ! 

An  Arabic  tradition  says  that  the  children  of  Seth 
had  sworn,  by  the  blood  of  Abel,  that  they  would  never 
leave  the  mountainous  country  which  they  inhabited  to 
go  down  into  the  valley  where  the  children  of  Cain 
lived  ;  but  that,  captivated  with  the  beauty  of  Naamah 
and  the  music  of  Jubal,  they  violated  their  oaths,  went 
down  to  the  valley  and  intermarried  with  them.  A 
general  pollution  ensued,  and  the  Flood  was  provided  to 
destroy  both. 


or  THE        X 
UNIVERSITY  j 

OF  jr 

Siit^OINCIDEXCES  WITH   THE   MYSTERIES.  61 


The  Hebrew  traditions  say,  the  descendants  of  Seth 
continued  in  the  practice  of  virtue  till  the  fortieth  year  of 
Jared,  when  one  hundred  of  them,  hearing  the  noise  of 
the  music  and  the  riotous  mirth  of  the  Cainites,  agreed 
to  go  down  to  them  from  the  holy  mountain.  On  their 
arrival  in  the  plains,  they  were  immediately  captivated 
by  the  beauty  of  the  women  ;  and  this  is  what  is  meant  by 
the  intermarriage  of  the  sons  of  God  with  the  daughters 
of  men.  The  example  of  these  apostate  sons  of  Seth  was 
soon  followed  by  others ;  and  from  time  to  time  great 
numbers  continued  to  descend  from  the  mountain,  who, 
in  like  manner,  took  wives  from  the  abandoned  race  of 
Cain.  From  these  marriages  sprung  the  giants,  who, 
being  remarkable  for  their  impiety  as  for  their  strength 
of  body,  tyrannized  in  a  cruel  manner  and  polluted  the 
earth  with  wickedness  of  every  kind.  This  defection  be- 
came at  last  universal,  and  none  were  left  in  the  holy  moun- 
tain except  JSToah,  his  wife,  his  three  sons  and  their  wives. 

In  the  masonic  system  the  rounds  of  the  ladder  are 
said  to  be  innumerable,  but  the  three  principal  are  de- 
nominated Faith,  Hope  and  Charity  ;  but  the  symbol  in 
the  mysteries  is  universally  furnished  with  seven  rounds 
or  steps. 

In  the  Persian  mysteries  the  candidate  was  passed 
through  seven  spacious  caverns  connected  by  winding 
passages,  each  opening  with  a  narrow  portal,  and  each 
the  scene  of  some  perilous  adventure  to  try  his  courage 
and  fortitude  before  he  was  admitted  into  the  splendid 
sacellum,  which,  being  illuminated  with  a  thousand 
torches,  reflected  every  shade  of  color  from  the  rich  gems 
and  amulets  with  which  the  walls  were  copiously  be- 
decked. The  dangerous  progress  was  denominated  as- 
tending  the  Ladder  of  Perfection. 


62  TRADITIONS  OF  FREEMASONRY. 

The  same  ceremony  was  practiced  in  the  Hindu  mys- 
teries. The  Mahommedans  have  the  same  idea  in  a  soul's 
passage  through  seven  stages  of  purification  preparatory 
to  its  admission  into  the  abode  of  light  and  purity.  We 
find  the  same  symbol  was  used  by  the  Mexicans  and 
Peruvians  on  the  re-discovery  of  the  American  continent, 
and  the  researches  of  tourists  have  brought  to  light  this 
same  symbol  among  the  ruins  of  American  cities  that 
have  been  so  long  hidden  from  the  world  that  not  even  a 
tradition  remains. 

The  hierophant  in  the  Grecian  mysteries  taught  the 
initiate  that  the  ONE  eternal  Deity  was  too  august  a  being 
to  be  approached  by  mortals  ;  that  his  dwelling-place  was 
in  the  sun,  and  that  the  hero-gods  usually  worshiped 
were  formerly  living  men  who  had  been  deified  for  their 
virtues,  and  were  dignified  with  the  high  office  of  medi- 
ators between  him  and  his  creatures,  and  that  through 
them  alone  divine  worship  ought  to  be  offered  and  human 
petitions  preferred ;  that  those  tutelary  deities  carry 
up  the  desires  of  men  to  heaven,  and  bring  from  thence 
assurances  of  protection  and  revelations  of  future  events, 
which  they  communicate  through  the  medium  of  dreams. 

There  is  a  remarkable  coincidence  between  this  doc- 
trine and  the  vision  of  Jacob  at  Bethel.  The  ascending 
and  descending  of  the  hero-gods  in  the  character  of 
angelic  messengers  ;  the  knowledge  imparted  by  dreams, 
as  the  patriarch  received  his  revelation,  equally  lead  to 
the  irresistible  conclusion  that  this  event  was  embodied 
in  the  mysteries,  and  that  it  had  been  placed  there  by 
the  Egyptian  hierophants,  who  learned  it  from  his  son 
Joseph,  as  a  remarkable  manifestation  of  the  divinity 
worthy  of  being  put  on  record  in  their  most  sacred  insti- 
tutions. Thus  we  have  a  most  extraordinary  coincidence 


COINCIDENCES  WITH  THE   MYSTERIES.  63 

of  custom,  with  respect  to  the  Masonic  Ladder,  existing  in 
every  region  of  the  world,  and  all  equally  applicable  to 
a  gradual  ascent  to  heaven  by  the  practice  of  moral 
virtue. 

The  Square  appears  to  have  been  one  of  the  earliest 
geometrical  figures  which  was  applied  to  any  practica- 
ble purpose.  And  hence  it  became  of  great  importance 
with  the  first  Masons,  which  it  still  retains  in  our  lodges, 
and  is  an  emblem  of  morality  and  justice. 

There  is  an  old  tradition,  that  owing  to  the  overflowing 
of  the  Nile,  the  ancient  Egyptians  were  unable  to  find 
the  boundaries  of  their  lands  until  the  time  of  Euclid, 
who  instructed  them  in  geometry,  measured  out  their 
land,  and  divided  it  into  partitions,  so  that  each  man  might 
ascertain  his  own  property. 

The  square,  as  a  masonic  symbol,  originated  in  Egypt. 
It  was  an  emblem  of  justice,  because  it  was  the  means  by 
which  were  ascertained  the  boundaries  of  lands  that  had 
been  obscured  or  carried  away  by  the  inundations  of  the 
Nile. 

Some  of  the  mysteries  had  an  officer  denominated 
Stolistes,  who  bore  a  square  rule  as  the  emblem  of  jus- 
tice, and  the  cup  of  libations.  His  charge  included 
every  thing  which  belonged  to  the  education  of  youth  ; 
and  he  was  also  intrusted  with  the  chief  management  of 
sacrifices,  religious  festivals  and  secret  commemorations, 
the  rules  for  which  were  written  in  hieroglyphics. 

The  square  was  the  first  geometrical  figure  which  was 
brought  into  practical  use  by  operative  Masons.  In  the 
construction  of  cities  and  private  dwellings,  camps  and 
fastnesses,  right  angles  were  generally  used ;  as  in  the 
ark  of  Noah,  the  camp  of  the  Israelites,  the  cities  of 
Babylon  and  Nineveh,  with  the  temples  of  Egypt  and 


64  TRADITIONS   OP   FREEMASONRY. 

India,  or  the  established  form  of  a  Mason's  Lodge.  Tho 
square  is  a  symbol  of  perfection  and  happiness  arising 
out  of  morality  and  justice,  and  with  this  meaning  in 
view  it  has  been  assigned  to  the  Worshipful  Master  as 
the  badge  of  office. 

The  checkered  flooring  called  Mosaic  or  Musaic  work 
originally  represented  the  variegated  face  of  the  earth, 
in  places  where  the  ancients  used  formerly  to  hold  their 
religious  assemblies.  This  imitation  was  made,  when 
temple  worship  was  introduced,  to  reconcile  the  people  to 
the  change.  The  origin  of  what  is  called  Mosaic  work, 
as  well  as  the  term  by  which  it  was  designated,  appears 
to  be  lost  through  the  lapse  of  time. 

It  is  remarkable  that  this  description  of  tesselated 
pavement  was  in  use  all  over  the  world.  The  Romans 
left  behind  them  many  beautiful  specimens,  which  have 
been  discovered  in  modern  times,  in  various  parts  of  the 
British  Isles,  and  are  still  preserved  with  great  care  as 
invaluable  relics  of  the  state  of  the  arts  in  the  first  ages 
of  Christianity.  But  we  are  furnished  with  records  of 
this  kind  of  work  at  periods  much  more  remote.  In  the 
royal  palace  of  Shushan,  when  Ahasuerus  gave  a  royal 
feast  to  his  nobles,  the  beds,  or,  in  other  words,  the  tri- 
clinia or  banqueting  couches  were  of  gold  and  silver, 
upon  &  pavement  of  red  and  Ihie  and  white  and  UacJc 
marble.  The  voluptuous  Egyptians,  who  exhausted  their 
ingenuity  in  the  invention  of  new  luxuries  to  please  the 
taste  of  a  pampered  nobility,  used,  in  common  with 
painted  walls  and  ceilings,  the  Mosaic  .pavement  richly 
tesselated.  In  the  palace  of  Cleopatra  these  pavements 
were  inlaid  with  precious  stones.  And  in  India  the 
floors  of  the  most  sacred  temples,  or  at  least  the  adyta, 
were  enriched  with  polished  stones  disposed  in  small 


COINCIDENCES  WITH  THE   MYSTERIES.  65 

squares  or  tessera,  which  reflected  the  beams  of  the  sun 
in  a  variety  of  splendid  colors.  The  Greeks  adorned 
their  floors,  pavements  of  temples  and  palaces,  with  Mo- 
saic or,  rather,  Musaic  work,  a  work  composed  of 
many  stones,  or  other  matters,  of  different  colors,  so  dis- 
posed as  to  represent  divers  shapes  of  ornaments,  birds, 
animals,  geometrical  figures,  and  so  forth. 

Critics  are  divided  as  to  the  origin  and  reason  of  the 
name  Mosaic  or  Musaic.  It  could  not  have  derived  its 
name,  as  some  have  supposed,  from  the  fact  that  the  floor 
of  the  tabernacle  erected  by  Moses  was  so  decorated, 
because  we  find  it  in  use  long  anterior  to  that  time. 

An  old  writer  says  that  "  the  rural  works  not  being 
resumed  in  Egypt  till  after  the  Nile  had  quitted  the 
plain,  they,  for  this  reason,  gave  the  public  sign  of  hus- 
bandry the  name  of  Moses  or  Museus,  saved  from  the 
waters  ;  and  on  the  same  account,  the  nine  moons  during 
which  Horus,  Apollo,  or  husbandry  continued  his  exer- 
cises, went  by  the  same  name."  Hence  originated  the 
fable  of  the  Nine  Muses.  Isis  was  so  far  the  proclama- 
tion of  the  year,  that  she  put  on  such  clothes  and  dresses 
as  were  agreeable  to  the  four  seasons.  To  announce  the 
beginning  of  spring,  that  overspreads  and  enamels  the 
earth  with  flowers  and  verdure,  she  wore  carpets  of  dif- 
ferent colors. 

What  could  be  more  appropriate  than  to  denominate 
the  variegated  and  beautiful  face  of  the  earth  in  Egypt, 
during  the  nine  months  that  bore  the  name  of  Moses  or 
Museus,  Mosaic  or  Musaio  work,  and  to  give  the  same 
appellation  to  its  imitation ! 

The  Egyptians,  in  common  with  other  ancient  nations, 
held  high  hills  and  groves  in  superstitious  veneration  ; 
and  although  in  after  times  they  quitted  these  favorite 


66  TRADITIONS   OF  FREEMASONRY. 

retreats  and  worshiped  their  gods  in  temples,  still  it 
was  natural  that  they  should  endeavor  to  imitate  the 
scenes  which  they  venerated  and  had  been  accustomed  to 
contemplate  in  their  former  devotions.  With  this  view, 
then,  they  decorated  their  temples  so  as,  in  some  measure, 
to  resemble  the  works  of  creation  as  exhibited  in  the 
places  where  they  before  assembled  for  religious  wor- 
ship. And  the  name  Mosaic  or  Musaic  would  natu- 
rally occur  to  them  as  proper  to  be  given  to  this  orna- 
mental work,  intended  to  represent  the  face  of  the  earth 
during  the  nine  Mosaic  months. 

On  the  same  principle  the  floor  of  a  Mason's  Lodge 
has  been  constructed,  but  with  an  entirely  different  ex- 
planation of  the  symbol.  The  floor  of  the  lodge  is  thus 
in  proper  keeping  with  the  rest  of  its  decorations ;  for 
the  design  would  be  imperfect,  if  a  strict  regard  to  uni- 
formity and  propriety  had  not  been  observed  throughout 
the  entire  arrangement.  This  is  another  striking  evi- 
dence of  the  unity  of  design  with  which  the  great  plan 
of  Freemasonry  was  originally  constructed.  How  mi- 
nutely soever  the  parts  or  elements  may  appear  to  be  dis- 
posed, they  each  and  all  conduce  to  the  same  end — the 
glory  of  God  and  the  welfare  of  man. 

The  Mosaic  pavement  is  emblematical  of  human  life, 
checkered  with  good  and  evil ;  the  beautiful  border  by 
which  it  is  encompassed,  those  blessings  and  comforts 
which  surround  us,  and  which  we  hope  to  obtain  by  a 
faithful  reliance  on  Divine  Providence,  hieroglyphically 
represented  by  the  blazing  star  in  the  centre. 

Sabaism,  or  the  worship  of  the  stars,  was  one  of  the 
earliest  deviations  from  the  true  system  of  religion.  One 
of  its  causes  was  the  established  dogma  among  many  of 
the  nations  of  antiquity,  tha  '•  each  star  was  animated  by 


COINCIDENCES  WITH  THE  MYSTERIES.  67 

the  soul  of  a  hero-god,  who  had  once  dwelt  incarnate 
upon  earth.  Hence,  in  the  hieroglyphical  system,  the  star 
denoted  a  god. 

The  Egyptians  at  an  early  period  discovered  that  the 
Nile  began  to  swell  at  the  heliacal  rising  of  a  most  mag- 
nificent star  toward  the  south,  which  warned  them  to 
prepare  for  that  beneficent  event  by  driving  their  cattle 
to  the  high  country,  that  they  might  remain  uninjured 
during  the  prevalence  of  the  high  waters,  and  retiring 
themselves  into  towns  and  places  of  security. 

They  were  thus  induced  to  pay  the  star  divine  honors 
and  named  it  Sirius,  from  Siris,  one  of  the  appellations 
of  the  Nile.  It  was  also  called  Canicula,  or  the  Dog- 
star,  because  of  the  sultry  heat  which  usually  prevailed 
at  the  season  of  its  rising,  with  all  its  disagreeable 
effects,  among  which  the  tendency  of  dogs  to  become 
mad  was  not  one  of  the  least. 

The  warning  given  by  the  Dog-star  being  their  most 
important  concern,  the  Egyptians,  from  its  rising,  an- 
ciently dated  the  beginning  of  their  year  and  the  whole 
series  of  their  feasts  ;  wherefore,  instead  of  representing 
it  under  the  form  of  a  star,  which  might  not  distinguish 
it  from  another,  they  delineated  it  under  the  figure  rela- 
tive to  its  function  and  name,  the  Dog-star,  the  door- 
keeper, the  star  which  opens  or  shuts,  closing  one  year, 
as  it  were,  and  opening  another. 

Sirius,  or  the  Dog-star,  was,  according  to  the  Persians, 
the  sentinel  of  heaven  and  the  guardian  of  the  gods. 
The  sick  implored  his  aid  before  dying,  and  gave  from 
his  hand  a  little  food  to  a  dog  that  was  led  to  his  bed. 

There  exist  considerable  discrepancies  among  Masons 
as  to  the  symbolism  of  the  blazing  star,  but  the  concur- 
rent testimony  of  the  ancient  religions,  and  the  hiero- 


68  TRADITIONS   OF   FREEMASONRY. 

glypliic  language  prove  that  the  star  was  the  symbol  of 
God.  It  was  so  used  by  the  prophets  of  old  in  their 
metaphorical  style.  Those  who  give  an  exclusive  Chris- 
tian explanation  of  masonic  symbols,  regard  it  as  em- 
blematical of  the  star  which  conducted  the  three  magi 
to  Bethlehem.  The  more  universal  explanation,  and  one 
which  may  be  received  alike  by  all  members  of  the 
order,  whatsoever  may  be  their  peculiar  religious  views, 
is  that  it  is  an  emblem  of  Divine  Providence. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

ENTERED   APPRENTICE  —  CONTINUED. 

TABERXACLE  of  Moses  —  The  Israelites  brought  with  them  a  Tent  or  Taber- 
nacle out  of  Egypt  —  Tabernacle  and  its  Furniture  modeled  after  the 
Egyptian  style  —  Altars  —  Erected  by  various  Nations  —  Cubical  in  form 
—  Tradition  of  the  Delphic  —  Tabernacle  placed  East  and  West  —  Ancient 
Temples  so  situated  —  East  and  West  a  peculiar  Term  —  Examples  of  the 
use  of  the  Term  —  Explication  of  the  Words  —  Dedication  of  Lodges  — 
Traditional  Dedication  of  Lodges  from  the  Deluge  to  the  Present  —  Tra- 
ditions of  St.  John  the  Evangelist ;  acceptance  of  the  office  of  Grand  Mas- 
ter—  Of  his  Connection  with  the  Essenes  —  Names  by  which  the  Society 
has  been  known — First  called  Freemasons  in  1440  —  Tradition  of  the 
Masons  and  Knights  Templar  —  Ancient  Examination  Questions  —  Tra- 
dition of  St.  John  the  Baptist  as  an  Essene  — Point  within  a  Circle  — 
An  ancient  Symbol  —  Coeval  with  the  First  created  Man  —  From  whence 
it  came,  and  Reasons  for  its  adoption  as  a  Symbol  —  Tradition 
that  the  Garden  of  Eden  was  circular  —  Veneration  for  Spherical  Bodies 
by  the  Ancients  —  Circle  a  Symbol  of  Eternity  in  the  Mysteries  —  Tower 
of  Babel  —  Tradition  of  the  Building  of  Babylon  —  Confusion  of  Tongues 
did  not  prevent  Communication  —  Point  Avithin  a  Circle  an  Emblem  of 
Deity  —  Parallel  Lines  introduced  by  Dunckerly  —  Solstices  —  Several 
Nations  observed  those  Days  as  Festivals  —  Legend  of  the  Tower  of 
Babel  —  Of  Peleg's  Tomb  discovered  in  Prussia  —  Points  of  Entrance,  or 
Twelve  Original  Points. 

THE  first  public  temple  dedicated  to  the  exclusive  ser- 
vice of  God  was  the  Tabernacle  of  Moses,  which  was 
placed  due  east  and  west.  This  tabernacle  was  erected 
by  Moses,  Aholiab  and  Bezaleel.  A  space  of  ground  or 
court  was  inclosed  for  its  reception,  in  length  one  hundred 
and  fifty  feet,  and  in  breadth  seventy-five  feet.  The 
whole  edifice  was  thirty  cubits  long,  ten  cubits  wide,  and 
ten  cubits  high,  or  about  fifty-two  and  a-hall  feet  long, 
seventeen  and  a-lialf  wide,  and  seventeen  aad  a-half  feet 
high.  The  three  divisions  of  the  tabernacle  were  :  the  outer 

(69) 


70  TRADITIONS   OF  FREEMASONRY. 

court,  which  was  open  to  the  people  ;  the  sanctuttry,  or 
holy  place,  into  which  the  priests  were  admitted  ;  and  the 
sanctum  sanctorum,  or  holy  of  holies,  to  which  none  had 
access  but  the  high  priest  alone.  The  metals  used  in  its 
construction  and  ornament  were  confined  to  gold,  silver 
and  brass,  all  the  baser  metals  being  excluded.  The  ma- 
terials were  obtained  by  contributions  from  the  people  ;. 
the  value  of  which,  including  furniture,  have  been  computed 
at  one  million  sixty-six  thousand  and  six  hundred  dollars. 

The  Israelites  brought  with  them  from  Egypt  a  tent, 
or  tabernacle,  dedicated  to  the  god  Moloch.  The  Prophet 
Amos  thus  upbraids  the  Children  of  Israel :  "  You  have 
carried  about,"  says  he,  "  during  your  sojournings  in  the 
wilderness,  the  tabernacle  of  Moloch  and  the  star  of 
Kemphan."  It  was,  therefore,  for  the  purpose  of  pre- 
venting the  Israelites  from  persisting  in  this  idolatrous 
practice  that  they  were  permitted  to  make  a  tabernacle 
for  the  worship  of  the  true  and -living  God,  and  to  carry 
it  about  in  honor  of  him.  This  tabernacle  was  furnished 
with  an  ark,  an  oracle  and  an  altar,  like  those  of  other 
nations. 

In  the  directions  given  for  the  construction  of  the  tab- 
ernacle, as  recorded  in  Holy  Writ,  there  are  two  things 
particularly  noticeable.  It  was  to  be  made  "  after  the 
pattern  of  the  tabernacle,"  words  which  convey  a  distinct 
intimation  that  a  preexistent  tabernacle  was  to  afford  a 
general  outline  of  this  new  building  and  its  furniture. 
But  the  Mosaic  tabernacle  was  not  to  be  a  mere  repro- 
duction or  servile  imitation  of  the  tent  previously  in  use  : 
it  was  to  be  a  copy,  but  elaborated  and  more  splendid, 
and  at  the  same  time  more  perfect  in  its  typical  charac- 
ter as  a  "  shadow  of  heavenly  things." 

Moses  records  a  minute  description  of  the  tabernacle, 


COINCIDENCES   WITH   THE   MYSTERIES.  71 

its  size,  apartments,  ornaments,  furniture,  symbols,  etc., 
with  one  remarkable  exception — he  does  not  give  the 
form  of  the  cherubim  ;  a  fact  which  seems  to  intimate 
that  these  figures  were  well  known  at  the  time — a  mat  , 
ter  which  the  discoveries  in  Nimroud  confirm,  but  of  that ' 
figure  hereafter. 

If  sufficient  information  could  be  obtained  for  the  pur-  * 
pose,  it  would  be  very  interesting  and  desirable  to  trace 
the  relation  which  the  tabernacle  built  by  Moses,  Aho- 
liab  and  Bezaleel,  under  the  special  direction  of  God, 
bore  to  that  which  was  brought  out  of  Egypt  by  the 
Hebrews.  The  Ante-Sinaitic  tabernacle  was  always 
called  3n$  ok-helj  "  a  tent ;"  the  Mosaic  one,  formed  ac- 
cording to  the  revelations  of  Sinai,  "pftJJa  mish-kahn,  "a 
habitation,  a  dwelling." 

The  tabernacle  appears  to  have  been  constructed  on 
the  plan  of  the  Egyptian  temples,  and  more  particularly 
that  of  Edfou  ;  this  latter  will  be  noticed  when  we  come 
to  the  consideration  of  Solomon's  Temple,  which  was 
modeled  after  the  tabernacle.  Not  only  the  tabernacle 
but  its  furniture  and  appurtenances  appears  to  have  been 
of  Egyptian  origin,  and  that  it  was  framed  by  Moses  on 
the  model  of  some  such  fabric  which  he  had  observed  in 
Egypt,  and  was  made  with  a  view  of  indulging  the  Israel- 
ites in  the  customs  and  modes  of  worship  they  had  ac- 
quired in  Egypt,  in  so  far  as  they  were  not  directly  sinful. 

Before  this  period  the  service  of  divine  worship  was 
performed  on  altars  erected  in  the  open  air.  Thus  Adam, 
Abel,  Seth,  Enoch  and  Noah  had  their  several  altars  for 
sacrifice.  Abraham,  in  his  wanderings,  erected  an  altar 
in  every  place  where  he  remained  for  a  short  space  of 
time  stationary.  Isaac  had  an  altar  at  Beersheba,  and 
Jacob  at  Salem  and  Bethel. 


72  TRADITIONS   OF   FREEMASONRY. 

Altars  were  of  great  antiquity,  as  stated  above,  and 
were  originally  constructed  of  earth  or  unhewn  stone. 
The  Egyptians  used  them  from  the  earliest  times,  while 
the  Persians  and  some  other  nations  offered  their  sacri- 
fices on  the  mountains  and  high  hills,  without  any  al- 
tars. There  was  scarcely  any  practicable  material  of 
which  altars  were  not  subsequently  made.  Some  were 
hewn  from  single  large  blocks  of  stone,  others  were 
formed  of  squared  stones,  and  many  of  precious  marbles  ; 
some  were  of  brick,  others  of  metal  (brass,  and  even 
gold),  being  probably  overlaid  with  the  metal,  like  the 
Hebrew  brazen  altar  and  the  golden  altar  of  incense  ; 
others  again  are  said  to  have  been  of  wood,  even  in 
Greece — but  these  were  not  common  j  neither  do  these 
appear  to  have  been  so  which  are  described  as  having 
been  built  with  bones  of  animals  curiously  interlaced. 
There  were  probably  three  kinds  of  altars  :  where  victims 
were  consumed  by  fire  ;  where  unbloody  offerings  only 
were  made,  and  for  incense.  The  Hebrews  had  two  of 
these,  viz.,  the  first  and  third,  and  the  table  of  shewbread, 
in  some  respects,  answered  for  the  second. 

On  the  brazen  altar  the  sacred  fire  was  kept  constantly 
burning,  both  in  the  wilderness  and  the  temple  at  Jeru- 
salem, and  was  never  to  go  out.  It  was  kindled  from 
heaven  in  the  time  of  Aaron,  of  David  and  of  Solomon, 
and  was  not  to  be  rekindled  with  strange  fire,  nor  any 
other  to  be  used  in  sacrifices  under  the  penalty  of  death. 

The  Persian  usages  resembled  those  of  the  Hebrews 
in  many  particulars,  their  sacred  fire  was  to  be  rekindled 
only  from  the  sun,  or  with  flint,  or  from  some  other  sa- 
cred fire. 

In  form,  altars  possessed  length,  breadth,  depth  and 
height,  and  therefore  were  cubical.  This  particular  fig- 


COINCIDENCES    WITH    THE   MYSTERIES.  73 

ure  was  reputed  to  possess  many  mysterious  properties 
by  the  people  of  all  nations.  Thus  many  of  the  gods 
were  represented  by  a  cubical  stone.  Pausanias  informs 
us  that  a  cube  was  the  symbol  of  Mercury,  because,  like 
the  cube,  he  represented  truth.  In  Arabia, a  blackstone 
in  the  form  of  a  double  cube,  was  reputed  to  be  possessed 
of  many  occult  virtues.  Apollo  was  sometimes  wor- 
shiped under  the  symbol  of  a  square  stone  ;  and  it'  is 
recorded  that  when  a  fatal  pestilence  raged  at  Delphi, 
the  oracle  was  consulted  as  to  the  means  proper  to  be 
adopted  for  the  purpose  of  arresting  its  progress,  and  it 
commanded  that  the  cube  should  be  doubled.  This  was 
understood  by  the  priests  to  refer  to  the  altar,  which  was 
of  a  cubical  form.  They  obeyed  the  injunction,  increased 
the  altitude  of  the  altar  to  its  prescribed  dimensions, 
and  the  pestilence  ceased. 

The  tabernacle  was  directed  by  the  Almighty  to  be 
placed  due  east  and  west,  with  the  altar  and  mercy- 
seat  in  that  quarter.  The  erection  of  the  tabernacle  gave 
a  new  impulse  to  the  Jewish  worship.  From  this  time 
their  acts  of  devotion  were  performed  with  their  faces 
toward  the  west,  for  the  tabernacle  had  no  avenue  of 
access  but  from  the  east. 

Moses,  pursuing  the  practice  of  the  Egyptians,  who 
always  inculcated  their  religious  theories  by  means  of 
allegory  and  symbol,  foreseeing  the  difficulties  which  he 
would  have  to  encounter  before  he  should  arrive  in  the 
promised  land,  and  having  already  experienced  the  insta- 
bility of  the  Israelites,  caused  the  tabernacle  to  be 
erected  east  and  west  to  excite  in  them  a  firm  reliance 
on  the  omnipotence  of  that  God  who  had  then  lately 
wrought  so  great  a  miracle  in  their  favor,  by  causing  a 
wind  to  blow  first  east  and  then  west,  whereby  they 
4 


74  TRADITIONS   OF   FREEMASONRY. 

safely  escaped  from  the  Egyptians  upon  dry  land,  even 
through  the  midst  of  a  sea  which,  nevertheless,  over- 
whelmed and  totally  destroyed  their  pursuers.  And  as 
they  were  liable  to  meet  with  many  distresses  in  their 
sojournment  in  the  wilderness,  the  situation  of  the  taber- 
nacle constantly  reminding  them  of  the  means  by  which 
their  mighty  deliverance  was  effected,  their  faith  would 
be  strengthened,  and  they,  with  a  firm  reliance  on  Al- 
mighty God,  be  enabled  to  proceed  with  resolution  and 
cheerfulness. 

The  situation  of  ancient  temples,  according  to  Vitruvi- 
us,  Clemens  of  Alexandria,  Hyginus,  Pophyry,  etc.,  was 
so  contrived  that,  the  windows  being  open,  they  might 
receive  the  rays  of  the  rising  sun.  Tho  chief  front  was 
toward  the  west,  and  the  altars  and  statues  being 
placed  in  the  east,  those  who  came  to  worship  would 
necessarily  have  their  faces  toward  them,  because  it  was  an 
ancient  custom  to  worship  with  the  face  toward  the  east. 

The  terms  East  and  West  have  been  honored  with  pe- 
culiar notice  ever  since  the  world  began,  and  it  is  from 
this  uniform  practice  of  our  ancient  brethren  that  we  re- 
tain a  regard  for  those  points  in  all  our  ceremonies.  The 
Garden  of  Eden  was  placed  in  the  East,  and  our  first 
parents  were  expelled  toward  the  west.  The  ark  of 
Enoch  was  placed  due  east  and  west.  Judah,  the  most 
distinguished  of  the  tribes,  had  the  eastern  part  of  the 
carnp  assigned  to  him  as  the  most  honorable  station.  The 
Children  of  Israel  entered  the  promised  land  in  the  nortJi- 
east  corner  of  it.  The  Gospel  was  first  published  in  the 
East.  Jesus  Christ,  its  divine  author,  was  crucified  with 
his  face  to  the  west.  Christian  churches  and  Masonic 
Lodges  are  built  due  east  and  west,  and  the  eastern  part 
in  each  is  deemed  the  most  sacred  ;  and  all  interments  of 


COINCIDENCES   WITH   THE   MYSTERIES.  75 

the  dead  are  conducted  on  the  same  principle.  Whence 
then  this  perfect  uniformity,  from  the  Creation  to  the 
present  time  ?  The  same  system  is  visible  throughout 
the  works  of  Nature,  and  must  therefore  be  referred  to 
the  Great  Creator  of  all  things.  The  sun,  that  great 
source  of  light  and  heat  created  for  the  benefit  and  con- 
venience of  man,  rises  in  the  east  to  open  the  day,  gains 
his  meridian  in  the  south,  and  retires  to  set  in  the  west, 
to  close  the  labors  of  the  day.  The  ancient  inhabitants 
of  the  world  considered  the  east  the  face  of  the  world 
from  this  very  appearance,  and  the  west  the  back  of  it. 
The  word  rendered  the  "  east "  in  the  Scriptures,  springs 
from  a  Hebrew  root  which  denotes  priority  either  of  time 
or  of  place,  and  it  came  to  signify  the  east,  because,  by 
the  ancients,  that  quarter  was  deemed  the  front  or  fore- 
part of  the  world. 

Thus  the  Ishmaelites  are  said  (Gen.  xxv.  18)  to  have 
dwelt  before  Egypt,  that  is  to  say,  to  the  east  of  it.  So,  to 
the  west,  is  often  called  behind:  thus,  Mahaneh-dan 
(Judges  xviii.  12)  is  said  to  be  behind  Kirjath-jearim : 
that  is,  westward  of  it.  To  indicate  the  north  and  south, 
the  words  left  and  right  are  used.  In  Job  xxiii.  8,  9,  we 
have  an  example  :  "Behold,!  go  forward,  but  he  is  not 
there  ;  and  backward,  but  I  cannot  perceive  him  :  on  the 
left  hand,  where  he  doth  work,  but  I  cannot  behold  him  : 
he  hideth himself  on  the  right  hand,  that  I  cannot  see  him." 
Here  the  four  cardinal  points  are  plainly  distinguished  ; 
the  words  "  forward/'  "  backward,"  "  left"  and  "  right," 
in  our  version,  are  intended  to  denote  the  east,  west,  north 
and  south,  the  spectator  being  supposed  to  look  toward 
the  rising  sun. 

The  Hebrew  term  fo;  EAST,  means  before ;  WEST,  be- 
hind; SOUTH,  the  right  j  and  the  NORTH,  obscure  or  con- 


76  TRADITIONS   OF   FREEMASONRY. 

cealed.  The  last  term  describes  the  darkness  with  which 
the  first  inhabitants  of  the  earth  believed  the  northern 
part  of  the  globe  to  be  enveloped. 

Our  ancient  brethren  dedicated  their  lodges  to  King 
Solomon  because  he  was  our  first  Most  Excellent  Grand 
Master  ;  but  modern  Masons  dedicate  theirs  to  St.  John 
the  Baptist  and  St.  John  the  Evangelist,  who  were  two 
eminent  patrons  of  Masonry — so  say  our  modern  lectures. 
Whether  the  Saints  John  were  or  were  not  Masons  is  a 
question  of  but  little  importance,  the  evidence  is  purely 
traditional ;  but  the  traditions  can  be  traced  for  several 
hundred  years.  We  as  Masons  have  sufficient  evidence 
for  our  purposes  that  they  were  each  Essenes  or  Free 
Masons. 

There  are  a  number  of  traditions  connecting  St.  John 
the  Baptist  and  St.  John  the  Evangelist  with  our  order, 
among  them  are  as  follows  : 

That  from  the  Flood  until  the  erection  of  the  tabernacle 
in  the  wilderness  lodges  were  dedicated  to  Noah  ;  from 
that  time  until  the  building  of  the  Temple  of  Solomon, 
lodges  were  dedicated  to  Moses  ;  from  thence  until  the 
time  of  the  Babylonish  captivity,  Freemason's  Lodges  were 
dedicated  to  King  Solomon,  and  from  that  time  to  the 
coming  of  the  Saviour  they  were  dedicated  to  Zerubbabel 
the  builder  of  the  second  temple  ;  and  from  that  time  to 
the  final  destruction  of  the  temple  by  Titus,  in  the  reign 
of  the  Emperor  Yespasian,  they  were  dedicated  to  St. 
John  the  Baptist. 

Owing  to  the  many  massacres  and  disorders  which  at- 
tended that  memorable  event,  Freemasonry  sunk  very 
much  into  decay  ;  many  lodges  were  entirely  broken  up, 
and  few  could  meet  in  sufficient  numbers  to  constitute 
their  legality.  Under  these  circumstances  a  genera] 


COINCIDENCES  WITH  THE   MYSTERIES.  77 

meeting  of  the  craft  was  held  in  the  city  of  Benjamin, 
when  it  was  observed  that  the  principal  reason  for  the 
decline  of  Masonry  was  the  want  of  a  Grand  Master  to 
direct  its  affairs.  They  therefore  deputed  seven  of  the 
most  eminent  members  to  wait  upon  St.  John  the  Evan- 
gelist, who  was  at  that  time  Bishop  of  Ephesus,  to  re- 
quest him  to  take  the  office  of  Grand  Master.  He 
returned  for  answer  that,  though  well-stricken  in  years 
(being  upward  of  ninety),  yet  having  been  in  the  early 
part  of  his  life  initiated  into  Masonry,  and  still  retaining 
his  affection  for  the  order,  he  would  take  upon  himself 
that  office.  He  did  so,  thereby  completing  by  his  learn- 
ing what  the  other  St.  John  had  begun  by  his  zeal,  and 
thus  drew  what  the  old  Freemasons  termed  a  line  paral- 
lel. He  died  at  the  advanced  age  of  one  hundred  and 
two  years,  ever  since  which  time  Freemason's  Lodges  in 
all  Christian  countries  have  been  dedicated  both  to  St. 
John  the  Baptist  and  St.  John  the  Evangelist. 

Another  tradition  says  that  St.  John  the  Evangelist 
first  became  connected  with  a  lodge  of  Freemasons  (Es- 
senes),  according  to  masonic  chronology,  in  the  year  of 
Light  4037,  A.  D.  35  •  and  he  thus  continued  until  increas- 
ing infirmities,  and  finally,  death,  severed  the  connection. 

Another  tradition  says  the  institution  was  known  in 
the  days  of  Noah  as  Noachidoe,  Sages  or  Wise  Men  ;  next 
as  Dionysiacs,  Geometricians  or  Masters  in  Israel ;  next 
as  Hiram's  Brothers  ;  then,  Essenes  ;  then,  Brothers  of  St. 
John,  and  finally  Free  and  Accepted  Masons,  which  lat- 
ter cognomen  they  received  in  1440  at  Valenciennes  in 
Flanders. 

Another  tradition  says  that  St.  John  the  Evangelist, 
who  was  an  Essenian  Freemason  (vide  Calmet),  insti- 
tuted a  secret  theological  society  with  mystic  rites  and 


78  TRADITIONS   OF   FREEMASONRY. 

masonic  emblems ;  and  some  authors  go  further  and  as- 
sert that  Clement  of  Rome,  who  was  the  disciple  of  Peter 
and  Paul,  at  the  death  of  St.  John  got  possession  of  the 
books  and  papers  of  the  society,  attached  it  to  the  Chris- 
tian religion,  and  by  means  of  missionaries  propagated 
it  throughout  the  world  ;  that  Polycarp  was  a  presiding 
officer,  and  that  successive  Roman  emperors  connived  at 
its  existence. 

Another  tradition  says :  In  the  time  of  the  Palestine 
wars,  the  masonic  knights  having  united  with  those  of 
St.  John  of  Jerusalem  to  fight  against  the  infidels,  they 
placed  themselves  under  the  protection  of  that  saint,  and 
proving  themselves  victorious  in  battle,  they  agreed,  after 
returning  thanks  to  God,  that  the  lodges  of  Masons  should 
for  ever  be  dedicated  to  God  and  St.  John. 

There  are  a  number  of  other  traditions  which,  like  the 
last,  are  not  well  authenticated ;  it  is  only  known  that 
they  have  been  repeated  for  a  long  time,  and  that  the 
brethren  in  the  fifteenth  century  placed  implicit  confi- 
dence in  them.  One  more  of  this  class  may,  perhaps, 
gratify  the  curious.  During  the  First  Crusade  there  was 
a  large  body  (one  tradition  says  27,000)  of  Scotchmen 
who  attracted  observation,  not  only  for  their  heroic 
valor  but  because  they  were  exclusive  •  governed  by  pe- 
culiar laws ;  never  claiming  or  seeking  assistance  from 
others  ;  taking  care  of  their  own  sick  and  wounded,  but 
ever  ready  to  extend  relief  and  assistance  to  those  re- 
quiring it ;  never  engaged  in  intestine  broils,  but  living 
and  acting  together  as  a  band  of  brothers.  Some  of  the 
Knights  Templar,  desiring  to  penetrate  the  cause  of  their 
mysterious  conduct,  sought  and  obtained  initiation  ;  their 
reports  induced  others  of  tho  order  to  follow  their  ex 
ample,  and  so  well  pleased  were  they  with  the  cere- 


COINCIDENCES   WITH  THE   MYSTERIES.  79 

monies  and  so  deeply  impressed  with  the  utility  of  the 
association,  that  a  law  was  enacted  that  for  the  future 
none  but  "  Brothers  of  Hiram"  should  be  admitted  into 
the  order  of  Knights  Templar.  The  "  Brothers,"  in 
turn,  in  compliment  to  the  Knights  adopted  their  patron 
saint,  since  which  time  Masons'  Lodges  have  been  dedi- 
cated to  St.  John. 

In  each  of  these  two  latter  traditions  (whoever  coined 
them)  there  is  a  confusion  in  the  use  of  the  term  St.  John. 
The  patron  saint  of  the  Templars  was  St.  John  the  Al- 
moner, a  very  different  personage  from  either  the  Baptist 
or  the  Evangelist. 

Among  the  test  or  examination  questions  in  use  in  the 
seventeenth  century  was,  "  From  whence  came  you  ? 
From  the  holy  lodge  of  St.  John."  Some  time  after  the 
revival  we  find  the  name  "  St.  John's  Lodges"  in  use  ; 
and  still  later,  we  find  the  phrase,  "  In  the  presence  of 
God  and  this  right  worshipful  and  holy  lodge,  ded- 
icated to  God  and  holy  St.  John."  It  is  probable  that 
this  latter  was  one  of  Dunckerley's  improvements. 

There  is  a  tradition  of  St.  John  the  Baptist  which  has 
collateral  evidence  to  sustain  it.  His  father  and  mother 
died  during  his  minority,  and  he  was  adopted  by  the  Es- 
senes,  living  with  them  in  the  wilderness,  and  when  of 
proper  age  he  was  initiated  in  their  mysteries  and  finally 
arrived  to  the  chief  dignity  of  the  order.  H^  diet  and 
manner  of  living  were  perfectly  conformable  to  the  rules 
of  the  Essenes.  They  lived  in  the  country  ;  so  did  he. 
They  dwelt  near  the  River  Jordan  and  baptized  their 
disciples  ;  John  did  the  same,  and  thus  acquired  the  cog- 
nomen of  the  Baptist.  The  Essenes  fed  on  dates  and 
other  fruits,  and  in  many  other  respects  agreed  with  the 
character  of  John,  as  we  find  him  in  the  gospels. 


80  TRADITIONS   OF   FREEMASONRY. 

The  fact  that  each,  St.  John  the  Baptist  and  St.  John 
the  Evangelist,  were  eminent  Essenes,  is  a  sufficient  rea- 
son why,  in  later  times,  Masons  should  dedicate  their 
lodges  to  them  without  looking  for  or  assigning  any 
others,  although  doubtless  our  ancient  brethren  had  other 
reasons. 

Masonic  Monitors  say  :  "  And  since  their  time  [St. 
John  the  Baptist  and  St.  John  the  Evangelist],  there 
is  represented  in  every  regular  and  -well-governed  lodge 
a  certain  point  within  a  circle,  embordered  by  two  perpen- 
dicular parallel  lines,  representing  St.  John  the  Baptist  . 
and  St.  John  the  Evangelist,  and  upon  the  top  rests  the 
Holy  Scriptures." 

The  natural  inference  from  tho  foregoing  is,  that  the 
symbol,  a  point  within  a  circle,  is  a  new  one,  originating 
or  adopted  by  Masons  since  the  days  of  those  personages. 
The  fact  is,  that  it  is  one  of  the  most  ancient  symbols  in 
use.  We  find  it  occupying  a  prominent  position  among 
the  emblems  of  the  ancients  thousands  of  years  anterior 
to  the  birth  of  either  of  the  Saints  John.  During  the 
Dark  Ages  the  symbolism  of  the  point  within  the  circle, 
like  that  of  the  letter  or  symbol  Y,  the  circurnambula- 
tion,  etc.,  were  forgotten,  and  it  is  only  within  a  few  years 
past  that  antiquarian  researches  and  scientific  investiga- 
tions have,  as  it  were,  re-discovered  the  abstruse  symbol- 
ism of  these  recondite  emblems. 

The  use  of  this  emblem  is  coeval  with  the  first  created 
man.  A  primary  idea  which  would  suggest  itself  to  the 
mind  of  Adam  when  engaged  in  reflections  on  his  own 
situation,  the  form  of  the  universe,  and  the  nature  of  all 
the  objects  presented  to  his  view,  would  be,  that  the  cre- 
ation was  a  circle  and  himself  the  centre.  This  figure, 
implanted  without  an  effort,  would  be  ever  present  in  all 


COINCIDENCES  WITH   THE   MYSTERIES.  81 

his  contemplations,  and  would  influence  his  judgment  to 
a  certain  extent  while  attempting  to  decide  on  the  mys- 
terious phenomena  which  were  continually  before  him. 
Himself  the  centre  of  the  system,  he  would  regard  Para- 
dise as  the  limit  of  the  habitable  earth,  and  the  expanse 
as  the  eternal  residence  of  the  omnipresent  Deity.  A 
little  reflection,  however,  would  soon  bring  him  nearer 
the  truth. 

The  Garden,  of  Eden  was  of  a  circular  form,  so  says 
tradition,  and  the  tree  of  life  was  placed  in  the  centre  ; 
now  as  the  fruit  of  this  tree  was  reputed  to  convey  the 
privilege  of  immortality,  the  centre  would  hence  be  es- 
teemed the  most  honorable  situation  and  be  ultimately 
assigned  to  the  Deity,  who  alone  enjoys  the  attributes  of 
immortality  and  eternity  ;  for  Adam,  in  his  progress  to 
different  parts  of  this  happy  abode,  would  soon  conclude, 
that  however  he  might  be  deceived  by  appearances,  he 
himself  could  not  be  a  permanent  centre,  because  he  was 
constantly  changing  his  position. 

To  this  august  circle  the  two  forbidden  trees  were  the 
accompanying  perpendicular  parallel  lines,  pointing  out 
God's  equal  justice  and  mercy.  When  Adam  had  vio- 
lated the  Divine  command  and  eaten  of  the  tree  of  knowl- 
edge, justice  demanded  that  the  threatened  penalty 
should  be  paid.  But  here  mercy  interposed  and  he  was 
expelled  from  the  abode  of  purity  and  peace,  now  violated 
by  transgression,  "  lest  he  should  put  forth  his  hand  and 
take  also  of  the  tree  of  life,  and  live  for  ever"  in  a  state 
of  wickedness  and  sin.  Hence  arose  the  masonic  em- 
blem of  a  point  within  a  circle. 

When  mankind  transferred  their  adoration  from  the 
Creator  to  his  works,  they  advanced  specious  reasons  to 
justify  a  devotion  to  spheres  and  circles.  Every  thing 
4* 


82  TRADITIONS   OP   FREEMASONRY. 

great  and  sublime  which  was  continually  presented  to 
their  inspection  partook  of  this  form.  The  sun,  the  un- 
equivocal source  of  light  and  heat,  was  a  primary  object 
of  attention  and  became  their  chief  deity.  The  earth, 
the  planets  and  fixed  stars  proceeding  in  all  their  majes- 
tic regularity,  excited  admiration  and  implanted  devout 
feelings  in  their  hearts.  These  were  all  spherical,  as 
was  also  the  arch  of  heaven  illuminated  with  their  un- 
fading lustre. 

The  next  progressive  observations  of  mankind  would 
be  extended  to  the  unassisted  efforts  of  nature  in  the  pro- 
duction of  plants  and  trees,  and  these  were  found  to 
exhibit,  for  the  most  part,  the  same  uniform  appearances. 
Every  fruit  he  plucked,  every  root  he  dug  from  the  earth 
for  food,  was  either  globular,  cylindrical  or  conical,  each 
partaking  of  the  nature  of  a  circle.  If  a  tree  were  di- 
vided horizontally,  the  section  uniformly  exhibited  the 
appearance  of  a  point  within  a  succession  of  concentric 
circles. 

Similar  results  would  be  produced  from  an  inspection 
of  animal  bodies.  The  trunk  is  a  cylinder,  and  the  in- 
testines, so  often  critically  examined  for  the  purposes  of 
augury,  presented  to  the  curious  inquirer  little  variation 
from  the  general  principle.  Hence  statues  bearing  these 
forms  were  subsequently  dedicated  to  the  gods  ;  a  cylin- 
der to  the  earth,  and  a  cone  to  the  sun,  and  the  circle 
with  its  centre  distinctly  marked,  became  a  most  sacred 
emblem  with  every  nation,  adopted  perhaps  from  the 
same  symbol  used  by  their  forefathers  on  the  plains  of 
Shinar  ;  referring  primarily  to  the  immeasurable  expanse 
occupied  by  infinite  space — a  proper  type  of  eternity,  but 
now  justified  by  a  reference  to  the  works  of  Nature. 

The  tribes  contiguous  to  Judea  placed  a  jod  (i)  in  the 


COINCIDENCES    WITH    THE    MYSTERIES.  83 

centre  of  a  circle,  as  a  symbol  of  the  Deity  surrounded  by 
eternity,  of  which  he  was  said  to  be  the  inscrutable  au- 
thor, the  ornament  and  support.  The  Samothracians  had 
a  great  veneration  for  the  circle,  which  they  considered 
as  consecrated  by  the  universal  presence  of  the  Deity  ; 
and  hence  rings  were  distributed  to  the  initiated,  as 
amulets  possessed  of  the  power  of  averting  danger.  The 
little  island  of  Samothrace  was  long  the  depository  of 
certain  august  mysteries,  and  many  went  thither  from  all 
parts  of  Greece  to  be  initiated.  It  was  said  to  have  been 
settled  by  the  ancient  Pelasgi,  early  Asiatic  colonists  in 
Greece.  It  is  said  that  upon  the  Argonautic  expedition, 
Orpheus,  an  initiate  of  these  mysteries,  a  storm  arising, 
counseled  his  companions  to  put  into  Samothrace.  They 
did  so,  the  storm  ceased  and  they  were  initiated  into  the 
mysteries  there,  and  sailed  again,  with  the  assurance  of  a 
fortunate  voyage,  under  the  auspices  of  the  Dioscuri,  pa- 
trons of  sailors  and  navigation. 

But  much  more  than  that  was  promised  to  the  ini- 
tiates. The  hierophants  of  Samothrace  made  something 
infinitely  greater  to  be  the  object  of  their  initiations,  to- 
wit,  the  consecration  of  man  to  Deity,  by  pledging  them 
to  virtue,  and  the  assurance  of  those  rewards  which  the 
justice  of  the  gods  reserve  for  initiates  after  death.  This 
above  all  else  made  these  ceremonies  august,  and  in- 
spired everywhere  a  great  respect  for  them  and  a  great 
desire  to  be  admitted  to  them.  That  originally  caused 
the  island  to  be  called  sacred.  It  was  respected  by  all 
nations.  The  Romans  when  masters  of  the  world,  left  it 
its  liberty  and  laws.  It  was  an  asylum  for  the  unfortun- 
ate and  a  sanctuary  inviolable. 

The  mysteries  among  the  Chinese  and  Japanese  came 
from  India  and  had  similar  rites.  The  equilateral  trian- 


84  TRADITIONS    OF    FREEMASONRY. 

gle  was  one  of  their  symbols,  and  so  was  the  mystical  Y ; 
both  alluding  to  the  Triune  God  and  the  latter  being  the 
ineffable  name  of  Deity,  and  for  which  symbol  the  mod- 
ern Masons  have  substituted  the  Forty-seventh  Problem  of 
Euclid  from  its  similarity  in  shape,  having  lost  the  expla- 
nation of  the  original  symbol.  A  ring  supported  by  two 
serpents  was  emblematical  of  the  world  protected  by  the 
power  and  wisdom  of  the  Creator  ;  and  that  is  the  origin 
of  the  two  parallel  lines  (into  which  time  has  changed  the 
two  serpents)  that  support  the  circle  in  our  lodges. 

In  the  Druidical  rites  the  point  within  the  circle  and 
the  cube  were  emblems  of  Odin,  the  Supreme  God,  the 
author  of  every  thing  that  existeth,  the  Eternal,  the  An- 
cient, the  Living  and  Awful  Being,  the  searcher  into  con- 
cealed things,  the  being  that  never  changeth. 

The  Hindus  believed  that  the  Supreme  Being  was  cor- 
rectly represented  by  a  perfect  sphere,  without  beginning 
and  without  end.  The  first  settlers  in  Egypt  transmitted 
to  their  posterity  an  exact  copy  of  our  point  within  the 
circle  expressed  in  emblematical  language.  But  the 
most  expressive  symbol  to  this  effect  used  by  any  of  the 
ancients  was  the  famous  Tretaactys  of  Pythagoras,  who 
contrived  not  only  to  express  the  only  One  God  residing 
in  the  midst  of  eternity,  but  united  with  it  an  idea  of  the 
Divine  Triad  and  blended  emblems  of  regeneration,  mor- 
ality and  science.  For  this  purpose  he  added  to  the  cen- 
tral jod  nine  other  jods,  disposed  about  the  centre  in 
the  form  of  an  equilateral  triangle,  each  side  consisting 
of  the  number  four.  The  disciples  of  Pythagoras  denom- 
inated this  symbol  Trigonon*mysticwn,  because  it  was 
the  conservator  of  many  awful  and  important  truths. 

The  point  within  the  circle  became  a  universal  em- 
blem to  denote  the  temple  of  the  Deity,  and  was  referred 


COINCIDENCES    WITH    THE    MYSTERIES.  85 

to  the  planetary  circle  in  the  centre  of  which  was  fixed 
the  sun,  as  the  universal  god  and  father  of  nature  ;  for 
the  whole  circle  of  heaven  was  called  God.  It  was  be- 
lieved that  the  centre  of  a  temple  was  the  peculiar  resi- 
dence of  the  Deity  ;  the  exterior  decorations  being  merely 
ornamental.  Mexico,  Britain.  Egypt,  India,  etc.,  pre- 
sent us  many  remains  of  temples  built  in  circular  form,  in 
the  centre  of  which  still  remains  the  point  or  emblems  of 
divinity. 

The  Tower  of  Babel  appears  to  have  been  built  of  this 
figure  combined  with  the  ladder  of  seven  steps.  It  was 
composed  of  enormous  bricks  dried  in  the  sun,  each  being 
nineteen  and  a-half  feet  in  length,  fifteen  feet  broad, 
and  seven  and  a-half  feet  in  thickness.  These  bricks  were 
cemented  by  slime  or  bitumen,  which  was  rendered 
by  time  as  hard  as  the  substance  of  the  brick.  Three 
years  were  occupied  in  making  these  bricks,  though  the 
greater  part  of  mankind  were  employed  in  the  work. 

Many  conjectures  have  been  offered  respecting  the 
magnitude  of  this  celebrated  edifice.  Jerome  says,  from 
the  testimony  of  ocular  demonstration,  that  it  was  four 
miles  high  and  of  proportionable  dimensions  in  bulk. 
Others  assert  it  of  more  extraordinary  height.  But  it 
must  necessarily  have  been  of  very  large  dimensions,  con- 
sidering, the  number  of  people  who  were  upward  ol 
forty  years  engaged  in  its  erection. 

According  to  Yerstegan,  modernizing  his  language, 
"  The  passage  to  mount  up  was  very  wide  and  great,  and 
went  winding  about  on  the  outside  :  the  middle  and  in- 
ward part  for  the  more  strength  being  all  in  one  mass, 
and  by  carts,  camels,  dromedaries,  horses,  asses  and 
mules,  the  carriages  were  borne  and  drawn  up  :  and  by 
the  way  were  many  lodgings  and  hostelries  both  for  man 


86  TRADITIONS    OF    FREEMASONRY. 

and  beast.  And  some  authors  report  the  space  for  going 
up  to  have  been  so  exceedingly  wide,  that  there  were 
fields  made  all  along  beside  the  common  passage  or  high- 
way for  the  nurture  of  cattle  and  bringing  forth  of  grain, 
but  however  it  were,  an  almost  incredible  great  work  it 
may  well  be  thought  to  have  been."  The  same  author 
gives  a  plate  of  this  edifice  in  the  title  page  to  his  "  Eesti- 
tution  of  Decayed  Intelligence  in  Antiquities,"  and  it  is 
there  represented  as  the  frustrum  of  a  cone  with  seven 
gradations. 

Here,  then,  we  have  a  superb  specimen  of  the  Point 
within  a  Circle  supporting  the  Seven  Stepped  Ladder, 
delineated  in  characters  which  cannot  be  mistaken,  ac- 
knowledged by  the  whole  race  of  man  occupying  their 
united  and  undivided  energies  to  confer  upon  it  the  in- 
disputable qualities  of  magnificence  and  durability. 

Eupolemus,  writing  of  this  tower,  says  :  "  The  city  of 
Babylon  owes  its  foundation  to  those  who  were  saved 
from  the  catastrophe  of  the  Deluge.  They  were  giants, 
and  they  built  the  tower  which  is  noticed  in  history.  But 
the  tower  being  overthrown  by  the  interposition  of  God, 
the  giants  were  scattered  over  all  the  earth." 

The  testimony  of  the  ancient  Sibylline  oracles  is  per- 
haps still  more  important :  from  Bryant's  "  Ancient  My- 
thology :" 

"  When  the  tower 

Rose  to  the  skies  upon  Assyria's  plain, 
And  all  mankind  one  language  only  knew ; 
A  dread  commission  from  on  high  was  given 
To  the  fell  whirlwinds,  which  with  dire  alarm 
Beat  on  the  tower,  and  to  its  lowest  base 
Shook  it,  convulsed.    And  now  all  intercourse, 
By  some  occult  and  overruling  power, 
Ceased  among  men  :  by  utterance  they  strove 


COINCIDENCES   WITH  THE   MYSTERIES.  87 

Perplex' d  and  anxious  to  disclose  their  mind ; 
But  their  lips  failed  them,  and  in  lieu  of  words 
Produced  a  painful  babbling  sound :  the  place 
"Was  hence  call'd  Babel ;  by  th'  apostate  crew 
Named  from  th'  event.     Then  sever'd  far  away 
They  sped  uncertain  into  realms  unknown : 
Thus  kingdoms  rose,  and  the  glad  world  was  fill'd." 

An  old  tradition  says  that  the  confusion  of  tongues  did 
not  entirely  prevent  mankind  from  communicating  with 
each  other  ;  that  they  contrived  signs  and  tokens  as  a 
means  of  recognition,  by  which  they  were  enabled  to  make 
known  their  wants  without  speaking,  and  of  knowing 
each  other  when  they  met  in  distant  parts  of  the  earth 
after  the  Dispersion. 

One  further  notice  of  the  use  of  this  figure  as  a  symbol 
of  Deity  by  the  ancients.  All  nations  recognized  as  an 
object  of  worship  a  great  Supreme  Deity  by  whom  all  that 
was,  was  made.  Another  idea  was  that  nothing  possessing 
life  could  be  created  without  the  junction  of  the  active 
and  passive  generative  powers.  And  as  God  created  all 
life,  he  must  necessarily  possess  within  himself  each  of 
those  powers,  and  hence  the  Phallic  worship,  so  common 
among  the  ancient  nations,  the  symbol  of  which  was  the 
emblem  that  we  have  been  considering,  and  which  is 
found  in  this  connection  in  the  monuments  of  antiquity 
everywhere. 

It  is  supposed  that  the  addition  of  the  two  perpendicu- 
lar parallel  lines  to  the  point  within  the  circle  was  in- 
troduced by  Dunckerly,  as  we  find  no  allusion  to  them 
previous  to  his  revision  of  the  lectures. 

It  is  evident  that  the  sun,  either  as  an  object  of  wor- 
ship or  of  symbolization,  has  always  formed  an  important 
part  of  both  the  mysteries  and  the  system  of  Freemasonry. 


88  TRADITIONS    OF    FREEMASONRY. 

The  particular  periods  when  the  sun  reached  his  greatest 
northern  and  southern  declination,  at  the  winter  and 
summer  solstices,  by  entering  the  zodiacal  signs  of  Cancer 
and  Capricorn,  marked  by  the  most  evident  effects  on 
the  temperature  of  the  seasons  and  on  the  lengths  of  the 
days  and  nights,  could  not  have  passed  unobserved.  These 
points,  if  we  suppose  the  circle  to  represent  the  sun's  ap- 
parent course,  will  be  indicated  by  the  points  where  the 
parallel  lines  touch  the  circle,  or,  in  other  words,  the 
parallels  will  indicate  the  limits  of  the  sun's  extreme 
northern  and  southern  declination,  when  he  arrives  at 
the  solstitial  points  of  Cancer  and  Capricorn.  Now  these 
important  points  fall  respectively  on  the  21st  of  June  and 
the  22d  of  December. 

The  Hindus,  the  Egyptians,  the  Scandinavians,  in  fact 
nearly  all  the  ancient  nations,  observed  these  days  as 
festivals.  Our  ancient  brethren,  finding  that  the  Church 
had  appropriated  two  days  near  those  solstitial  periods 
to  the  memory  of  two  saints  whom  they  believed  to 
have  been  patrons  of  the  order,  found  it  expedient  to 
incorporate  those  festivals  by  a  lapse  of  a  few  days  into 
the  masonic  calendar.  The  27th  day  of  December,  St. 
John  the  Evangelist's  day,  was  designated  as  a  masonic 
festival  as  early  as  the  twelfth  century,  and  St.  John  the 
Baptist's  day,  the  24th  of  June,  since  A.  D.  1720. 

There  is  a  legend  of  the  Tower  of  Babel  recited  in  a 
degree  called  the  Noachites  or  Prussian  Chevaliers,  and 
as  the  erection  of  that  tower  has  been  treated  of  with 
reference  to  its  symbolic  form,  it  may  be  proper  to  in- 
troduce the  legend  here. 

The  descendants  of  Noah,  notwithstanding  God  had 
appointed  the  rainbow  as  a  token  of  the  covenant  that 
he  would  not  again  destroy  the  earth  by  an  universal 


COINCIDENCES    WITH    THE    MYSTERIES.  89 

deluge,  resolved  to  erect  an  edifice,  which,  by  its  height, 
should  place  them  beyond  the  reach  of  Divine  vengeance. 
For  this  purpose  they  assembled  together  in  the  extended 
plain  of  Shinar.  They  laid  the  foundation  and  carried 
on  the  building  for  ten  years,  at  which  time  God,  seeing 
their  pride,  determined  to  interfere.  He  confounded 
their  language,  and  by  this  simple  process  put  an  end  to 
the  design.  Hence  the  tower  was  called  Babel,  which 
signifies  confusion.  Some  time  after  this  Ninirod  began 
to  establish  degrees  of  rank  among  his  subjects  which 
had  not  existed  before.  He  built  the  city  of  Babylon, 
and  arrogated  to  himself  the  honors  of  divine  worship. 
It  was  on  the  night  of  the  full  moon,  in  the  month  of 
March,  that  God  confounded  their  language.  And 
therefore  the  Noachites  held  their  great  meetings  on 
that  particular  night,  and  their  common  monthly  meet- 
ings were  only  held  when  the  moon  was  at  full,  and  they 
used  no  other  light  in  their  lodges.  After  the  language 
was  confounded  and  the  people  obliged  to  separate,  each 
tribe  pursued  his  own  course.  Peleg,  who  suggested 
the  plan  of  this  tower,  and  who  had  been  the  Grand  Archi- 
tect during  its  construction,  being  struck  with  the  force  of 
conscience,  condemned  himself  to  a  most  rigorous  penance. 
He  migrated  with  his  followers  to  the  north  of  Germany, 
after  having  suffered  great  miseries  and  encountered 
great  dangers  in  passing  the  mountains  and  plains  on  his 
way  thither.  In  that  part  of  the  country  which  is  now 
called  Prussia  he  took  up  his  residence.  Here  he  built 
a  triangular  temple,  where  he  inclosed  himself  that  he 
might  be  at  leisure  to  worship  God  and  implore  him  to 
pardon  his  transgression.  In  the  course  of  excavation 
in  the  salt  mines  of  Prussia,  A.  D.  553,  there  was  dis- 
covered at  the  depth  of  fifteen  cubits  the  foundations  of 


90  TRADITIONS    OF    FREEMASONRY. 

a  triangular  edifice,  in  the  centre  of  which  was  a  small 
pillar  of  marble,  on  which  the  above  history  was  in- 
scribed in  Hebrew  characters,  containing  these  words : 
"  Here  were  deposited  the  ashes  of  the  Grand  Architect 
of  the  Tower  of  Babel.  God  showed  him  mercy,  because 
he  humbled  himself."  These  monuments  are  said  to  be 
in  the  possession  of  the  King  of  Prussia. 

"  There  are  in  Freemasonry/'  so  says  the  System  of 
Lectures  taught  by  Preston  in  his  Chapter  of  Harodim, 
"  twelve  original  points,  which  form  the  basis  of  the  sys- 
tem and  comprehend  the  whole  ceremony  of  initiation. 
Without  the  existence  of  these  points,  no  man  ever  was 
or  can  be  legally  and  essentially  received  into  the  order. 
Every  person  who  is  made  a  Mason  must  go  through 
these  twelve  forms  and  ceremonies,  not  only  in  the  first 
degree  but  in  every  subsequent  one." 

Deeming  these  points  of  the  highest  importance  in  the 
ceremony,  they  consequently  exercised  much  ingenuity  in 
giving  them  a  symbolical  explanation.  The  ceremony 
of  initiation  was  formerly  divided  into  twelve  parts,  and 
the  old  English  Masons  adopted  as  the  symbolic  refer- 
ences to  these  points  the  twelve  tribes  of  Israel.  At  the 
union  of  the  two  Grand  Lodges  in  1813  these  points 
were  abrogated  and  "  three"  points  only  admitted.  Nei- 
ther system  has  ever  been  practiced  in  this  country  ;  the 
"four  perfect  points"  constitute  an  inadequate  substitute 
for  either. 

The  symbolism  embraced  in  the  explanation  of  the 
"  Twelve  Grand  Points"  doubtless  may  be  interesting  to 
the  reader : 

1.  The  opening  of  the  lodge  was  symbolized  by  the 
tribe  of  Reuben,  because  Eeuben  was  the  first-born  of  his 
father  Jacob,  who  called  him  "  the  beginning  of  his 


COINCIDENCES  WITH   THE  MYSTERIES.  91 

strength,"  the  door,  as  it  were,  by  which  the  Children  of 
Israel  entered  the  world.  He  was  therefore  appro- 
priately adopted  as  the  emblem  of  that  ceremony  which 
is  essentially  the  beginning  of  every  initiation. 

2.  The  preparation  of  the  candidate  was  symbolized 
by  the  tribe  of  Simeon,  because  Simeon  prepared  the 
instruments  for  the  slaughter  of  the  Shechemites,  .which 
excited  the  heavy  displeasure  of  his  parent ;  and  there- 
fore, to  perpetuate  abhorrence  of  such  cruelty,  candidates 
for  initiation  were  deprived  of  all  weapons,  both  offensive 
and  defensive. 

3.  The  report  of  the  Senior  Deacon  referred  to  the 
tribe  of  Levi,  in  commemoration  of  the  signal  or  report 
which  Levi  was  supposed  to  have  given  to  his  brother 
Simeon  when  they  assailed  the  men  of  Shechem  at  a  time 
when  they  were  incapable  of  defending  themselves,  and 
put  them  all  to  the  sword,  because  of  the  affront  which 
Dinah,  their  sister,  had  received  from  Shechem,  the  son 
of  Hamor. 

4.  The  entrance  of  the  candidate  into  the  lodge  was 
symbolized  by  the  tribe  of  Judah,  because  they  were  the 
first  to  cross  the  Jordan  and  enter  the  promised  land, 
coming  from  the  darkness  and  servitude,  as  it  were,  of 
the  wilderness  by  many  dangerous  and  wearisome  jour- 
neys into  the  light  and  liberty  of  Canaan. 

5.  The  prayer  was  symbolized  by  Zebulun,  because 
the  blessing  and  prayer  of  Jacob  were  given  to  Zebulun, 
in  preference  to  his  brother  Issachar. 

6.  The  circumamMation  referred  to  the  tribe  of  Issa- 
char, because,  as  a  thriftless  and  indolent  tribe,  they  re- 
quired a  leader  to  advance  them  to  an  equal  elevation 
with  the  other  tribes. 

7.  The  advancing  to  the  altar  was  symbolized  by  the 


92  TRADITIONS    OF    FREEMASONRY. 

tribe  of  Dan,  that  the  candidate  might  be  taught  by  con- 
trast to  advance  in  the  way  of  truth  and  holiness  ag 
rapidly  as  this  tribe  advanced  to  idolatry,  for  it  was 
among  the  tribe  of  Dan  that  the  serpent  was  first  set  up 
for  adoration. 

8.  The  obligation  referred  to  the  tribe  of  Gad,  in  allu- 
sion to  the  solemn  vow  which  was  made  by  Jephthah, 
Judge  of  Israel,  who  was  of  that  tribe. 

9.  The  intrusting  of  the  candidate  with  the  mysteries 
was  symbolized  by  the  tribe  of  Asher,  because  he  was 
then  presented  with  the  rich  fruits  of  masonic  knowledge, 
as  Asher  was  said  to  be  the  inheritor  of  fatness  and 
royal  dainties. 

10.  The  investure  of  the  lambskin,  by  which  the  can- 
didate is  declared  free,  referred  to  the  tribe  of  Naphtali, 
which  was  invested  by  Moses  with  a  peculiar  freedom, 
when  he  said,  "0  Naphtali,  satisfied  with  favor  and 
full  with  the  blessing  of  the  Lord,  possess  thou  the  west 
and  the  south." 

11.  The  ceremony  of  the  northeast  corner  of  the  lodge 
referred  to  Joseph,  because  as  this  ceremony  reminds  us 
of  the  most  superficial  part  of  Masonry,  so  the  two  half 
tribes  of  Ephrairn  and  Mahasseh,  of  which  the  tribe  of 
Joseph  was  composed,  were  accounted  to  be  more  super- 
ficial than  the  rest,  as  they  were  the  descendants  of  the 
grandsons  only  of  Jacob.  % 

12.  The  closing  of  the  lodge  was  symbolized  by  the 
tribe  of  Benjamin,  who  was  the  youngest  of  the  sons  of 
Jacob,  and  thus  closed  his  father's  strength. 


JfdI0fo  Craft. 


(98) 


or  THE 

UNIVERSITY  ) 

or 


CHAPTEE   Y. 


FELLOW     CRAFT. 

INTRODUCTORY  —  Moses  was  fully  acquainted  with  the  Doctrine  of  Imm«r- 
tality —  The  Educated  of  all  Nations  were  aware  of  the  Doctrine  —  The 
Communication  of  this  Knowledge  constituted  Hebrew  Masonry  —  Tra- 
ditional Precepts  of  Adam  and  Noah  —  The  Fourth  Commandment  an- 
te mosaic  in  origin  —  The  Sabbath  instituted  in  Primitive  Times  — 
Days  Observed  by  Different  Nations  —  Tradition  of  Cain  and  Abel's 
Offering  —  Fellow  Craft's  Lodge  represents  the  Middle  Chamber  — 
Pillars  of  the  Porch  —  Built  by  Hiram  —  Dimensions  —  Ornaments  — 
Traditions  respecting — Discrepancies  in  the  Scriptural  Account  of 
their  Height  considered  and  reconciled  —  Were  Hollow  —  Speculations 
on  their  Object — Traditions  of  Ancient  Pillars  —  Singularity  of  the 
Account  given  of  Enoch  by  Moses  —  Traditions  of  Enoch  —  Knowledge 
of  Arts  and  Sciences  —  Piety  —  His  Vision  —  Vault  —  Built  two  Pillars 
—  Extract  from  Josepbus  of  Seth's  Pillars. 

THE  Jews,  for  five  hundred  years  after  their  deliver- 
ance from  Egypt,  have  left  us  not  a  single  masonic  tradi- 
tion beyond  those  appertaining  to  the  first  degree  ;  and 
as  the  second  degree  treats  upon  arts  and  sciences,  it 
certainly  came  from  a  different  source  than  the  first.  We 
shall  not  here  indulge  in  any  speculations  as  to  the  origin 
of  the  second  degree,  but  in  pursuance  of  our  plan  notice 
such  traditions  as  are  applicable  to  it,  with  such  coinci- 
dences illustrative  as  may  be  deemed  interesting  and  in- 
structive. 

It  has  been  supposed  that  because  Moses  omitted  all 
reference  to  future  rewards  and  punishments  in  the  pro- 
mulgation of  the  law,  that  he  was  entirely  ignorant  of 
the  immortality  of  the  soul,  and  consequently  of  its  future 

'  (95) 


96  TRADITIONS    OP    FREEMASONRY. 

I 

condition.  Bishop  Warburton  held  a  different  opinion. 
He  maintained  that  Moses  was  fully  acquainted  with  the 
doctrine  of  a  future  state  ;  but  that  he  studiously  and  of 
set  purpose  not  only  avoided  all  reference  to  it  in  the  law, 
but  narrated  several  events  in  very  guarded  language,  and 
with  unusual  brevity,  in  order  to  conceal  it ;  and  that 
this  was  done  in  order  to  make  a  universal  providence, 
or  present  reward  and  punishment,  the  uniform  sanction 
of  the  law. 

It  is  morally  certain  that  the  intellectual  and  enlight- 
ened few  among  the  Hebrews,  the  Egyptians,  Phoenicians, 
Persians,  Hindus,  Grecians  and  others  were  aware  of  this 
doctrine.  But  their  dogmas  on  these  subjects  were 
esoteric  ;  they  were  not  communicated  to  the  people  at 
large,  but  only  to  a  favored  few  ;  as  they  were  commu- 
nicated to  the  initiates  in  Egypt,  Phoenicia,  Greece  and 
Samothrace  in  the  Greater  Mysteries.  The  communi- 
cation of  this  knowledge  constituted  Masonry  among  the 
Children  of  Israel.  It  is  not  claimed  that  the  names  of 
the  degrees  as  we  have  them  were  even  known  in  those 
ancient  times  ;  but  Masonry  existed  then  as  it  exists  now, 
the  same  in  spirit  and  at  heart. 

The  first  or  initiatory  degree  contains  the  rudiments 
of  knowledge,  and  has  been  aptly  referred  to  the  patri- 
archal dispensation,  when  mankind  were  acquainted  only 
with  the  first  principles  of  religion  and  worshiped  God 
only  in  simplicity  as  the  Creator  and  Governor  of  the 
world,  when  his  laws  or  precepts  were  few  and  written 
in  the  hearts  of  the  faithful  race.  These  precepts,  seven 
in  number,  tradition  ascribes  to  Adam,  and  reaffirmed  by 
Noah. 

1.  To  abstain  from  idolatry. 

2.  To  worship  the  true  God. 


COINCIDENCES  WITH  THE  MYSTERIES.  97 

3.  To  commit  no  murder. 

4.  To  refrain  from  all  impure  lusts. 

5.  To  avoid  all  rapine,  theft  and  robbery. 

6.  To  administer  true  justice. 

7.  To  observe  the  Sabbath  as  a  day  of  sacred  rest  and 
worship. 

The  last  of  these  precepts  has  been  disputed  as  having 
been  of  either  Adam  or  Noah,  but,  it  is  claimed,  was  first 
enunciated  from  Mount  Sinai.  The  language  of  the 
"  Fourth  Commandment"  is  peculiar,  and  appears  to  be  a 
reiteration  of  a  previous  command.  "  Remember  the  Sab- 
bath-day, to  keep  it  holy,"  distinctly  refers  to  &  previous 
knowledge  of  obligation,  and  it  is  the  only  one  in  the  dec- 
alogue that  does  so. 

When  in  the  wilderness  the  Lord  fed  the  Children  of 
Israel  with  manna  from  heaven  which  they  were  to  gather 
every  day  except  the  seventh.  "  And  Moses  said,  Six 
days  ye  shall  gather  it ;  but  on  the  seventh  day,  which 
is  the  Sabbath,  in  it  there  shall  be  none.  And  it  came 
to  pass,  that  there  went  out  some  of  the  people  on  the 
seventh  day  for  to  gather,  and  they  found  none.  And  the 
Lord  said  unto  Moses,  How  long  refuse  ye  to  keep  my 
commandments  and  my  laws  ?" 

It  is  evident  that  here  the  Sabbath  is  spoken  of  as  a 
divine  law  with  which  the  people  were  well  acquainted 
before  the  giving  of  the  decalogue.  We  may  therefore 
conclude  that  this  observance  arose  from  some  positive 
injunction  given  in  primitive  times.  That  injunction  we 
find  in  Gen.  ii.  2,  3  : 

"  And  on  the  seventh  day  God  ended  his  work  which 
ne  had  made  ;  and  He  rested  on  the  seventh  day  from  all 
his  work  which  he  had  made. 

"  And  God  blessed  the  seventh  day,  and  sanctified  it : 
5 


98  TRADITIONS    OF    FREEMASONRY. 

because  that  in  it  he  had  rested  from  all  his  work  which 
God  created  and  made." 

And  here,  let  the  original  words  be  as  differently  ren- 
dered as  they  can  be,  without  violence  to  their  meaning, 
they  must  signify  thus  much  :  that  when  God  had,  in  six 
days,  finished  the  creation,  he  commanded  that  the  suc- 
ceeding, or  seventh  day,  be  observed  by  the  first  human 
pair  as  a  day  of  peculiar  holiness.  The  original  words, 
the  English  version  of  which,  as  above, "  And  God  blessed 
the  seventh  day  and  sanctified  it,"  may  be  rendered,  "And 
God  ordered  (man)  to  bless  and  worship  on  the  seventh 
day,"  or,  perhaps,  the  whole  passage  may  be  rendered 
more  correctly  as  follows :  "  And  God  rested  on  the 
seventh  day  from  all  the  work  which  he  had  made  ;  and 
God  caused  (man)  to  bless  and  worship  on  the  seventh 
day,  and  ordered  (him)  to  sanctify  it." 

In  support  of  this  rendering  we  have  not  only  the  fact 
that  it  is  agreeable  to  the  grammar  of  the  original  lan- 
guage, but  also,  which  is  of  equal  consequence,  that  it 
accords  with  the  context  and  general  sense  of  the  writer. 
Adam  and  his  wife  had  been  created  on  the  sixth  day  ; 
and  with  them  God  finished  the  work  of  his  creation.  It 
is  therefore  highly  reasonable  to  suppose,  when  God  had, 
on  the  remainder  of  that  day,  given  them  a  view  of  their 
situation,  their  circumstances  and  their  relation  to  him- 
self and  to  each  other,  that  he  should  command  them  to 
devote  the  day  following  (as  the  first  fruits  of  their  time) 
to  a  grateful  acknowledgment  of  that  goodness  which 
gave  them  so  happy  an  existence  ;  and  that  after  he  him- 
self, having  made  the  world  in  six  days,  rested  on  the 
seventh,  so  they  in  devout  remembrance  of  it,  should  for- 
bear to  do  what  was  afterward  to  be  their  employment, 
and  give  up  that  one  day  to  thanksgiving  and  the  adora- 


or  THE 
vNIYERSITY 


COINCIDENCES  WITH  THE  MYSTERIES.  99 

tion  of  their  Creator.  After  this  manner  was  the  day 
appointed  ;  and  doubtless  it  was  carefully  observed,  and 
kept  holy  to  the  Lord. 

Every  wise  institution  must  be  deemed  to  last  so  long 
as  the  usefulness  of  that  institution  continues  ;  conse- 
quently, if  the  usefulness  of  the  Sabbath  continues,  the 
Sabbath  must  have  been  designed  to  continue  also,  and 
to  be  in  force  after  its  first  observation. 

Josephus  says,  "  There  is  no  city,  Greek  or  barbarian, 
in  which  the  custom  of  resting  on  the  seventh  day  is  not 
preserved.  Very  many  of  the  ancient  writers  concur  in 
Josephus'  testimony  of  the  observance  of  the*  seventh 
day.  At  the  present  time  the  following  days  of  the  week 
are  set  apart  for  public  worship  in  different  nations  ; 
Sunday  by  the  Christians,  Monday  by  the  Grecians, 
Tuesday  by  the  Persians,  Wednesday  by  the  Assyrians, 
Thursday  by  the  Egyptians,  Friday  by  the  Turks,  and 
Saturday  by  the  Jews. 

There  is  a  remarkable  tradition  of  the  Sabbath  at 
Delphi  ;  for  we  are  told  "  that  in  the  Temple  of  Apollo 
every  seventh  day  was  a  solemn  festival  on  which  the 
priestesses  chanted  pceans  in  honor  of  the  serpent." 

And  an  older  tradition  says  that  it  was  on  the  seventh 
day  that  Cain  and  Abel  offered  their  sacrifices. 

Masonic  tradition  says  that  our  ancient  brethren  conse- 
crated the  seventh  as  a  day  of  rest  from  their  labors,  thereby 
enjoying  frequent  opportunities  to  contemplate  the  glori- 
ous works  of  creation  and  to  adore  their  Great  Creator. 

As  in  the  symbolic  language  of  Masonry  a  lodge  of 
the  first  degree  represents  the  ground  floor  of  King  Solo- 
mon's Temple,  so  a  lodge  of  the  second  represents  the 
middle  chamber  of  the  same  edifice.  In  2d  Chronicles 
iii.  4,  17,  it  is  recorded  :  "  The  porch  was  in  the  front  of  the 


100  TRADITIONS   OF   FREEMASONRY. 

house  ;  the  length  of  it  was  according  to  the  breadth  of 
the  house,  twenty  cubits  ;  and  the  height  was  an  hundred 
and  twenty :  and  he  overlaid  it  within  with  pure  gold. 
And  he  reared  up  the  pillars  before  the  temple,  one  on 
the  right  hand  and  the  other  on  the  left ;  and  called  the 
name  of  that  on  the  right  hand  Jachin,  and  the  name  of 
that  on  the  left  Boaz." 

And  in  1st  Kings  vi.  8  :  "  The  door  for  the  middle 
chamber  was  in  the  right  side  of  the  house  :  and  they 
went  up  with  winding  stairs  into  the  middle  chamber, 
and  out  of  the  middle  into  the  third." 

Hutchison,  in  his  "  Spirit  of  Masonry,"  says,  in  reference 
to  the  pillars,  which  were  considered  of  sufficient  import- 
ance by  the  sacred  historian  to  merit  particular  and 
elaborate  description  :  "  The  pillars  erected  at  the  porch 
of  the  temple  were  not  only  ornamental  but  also  carried 
with  them  an  emblematical  import  in  their  names  :  Boaz 
being,  in  its  literal  translation,  in  tliee  is  strength  ;  and 
Jachin,  it  shall  l}e  established. 

Of  these  pillars  Josephus  says  :  "  Now  Solomon  sent  for 
an  artificer  out  of  Tyre,  whose  name  was  Hiram  :  he  was 
by  birth  of  the  tribe  of  Naphtali,  on  the  mother's  side 
(for  she  was  of  that  tribe),  but  his  father  was  Ur,  of  the 
stock  of  the  Israelites.  This  man  was  skillful  in  all  sorts 
of  work,  but  his  chief  skill  lay  in  working  in  gold,  in  sil- 
ver and  brass,  by  whom  were  made  all  the  mechanical 
works  about  the  temple,  according  to  the  will  of  Solomon. 
Moreover,  this  Hiram  made  two  (hollow)  pillars,  whose 
outside  were  of  brass  ;  and  the  thickness  of  the  brass  was 
four  fingers'  breadth,  and  the  height  of  the  pillars  was 
eighteen  cubits,  and  their  circumference  twelve  cubits  ;  but 
there  was  cast  with  each  of  their  chapiters  lily-work,  that 
stood  upon  the  pillar,  and  it  was  elevated  five  cubits,  round 


COINCIDENCES  WITH   THE   MYSTERIES.  101 

about  which  there  was  net-work  interwoven  with  small 
palms  made  of  brass  and  covered  with  lily- work.  To  this 
also  were  hung  two  hundred  pomegranates  in  two  rows." 

Masonic  tradition  says  that  these  pillars  were  cast  on 
the  banks  of  the  River  Jordan,  in  the  clayey  ground  be- 
tween Succoth  and  Zeredathah,  along  with  the  holy  ves- 
sels for  the  temple  worship. 

As  to  the  height  of  these  pillars  we  have  different 
accounts  in  the  Scriptures.  In  2d  Chronicles  iii.  15, 
it  is  recorded  "two  pillars  of  thirty-and-five  cubits 
high,"  and  in  1st  Kings  vii.  15,  "two  pillars  of 
brass,  of  eighteen  cubits  high  apiece."  To  reconcile 
these  statements  we  must  suppose  that  these  two  pillars 
were  cast  in  one  piece  of  thirty-five  cubits  in  length,  and 
that  in  Chronicles  this  collective  height  is  given.  This 
piece  of  brass  being  cut  into  two  equal  lengths  formed  the 
two  columns,  which  consequently  were  each  of  seventeen 
and  a-half  cubits  ;  now,  adding  a  half  cubit  to  each  as  a 
base,  we  have  the  eighteen  cubits  mentioned  in  Kings. 
Or  it  may  be  that  the  round  number  of  eighteen  is  used 
instead  of  seventeen  and  a-half.  Josephus  says,  as  we 
have  quoted  above,  that  the  pillars  were  eighteen  cubits 
in  height.  This  view  of  the  case  is  sustained  by  the 
language  used  in  the  two  passages  ;  in  Kings  it  is  in  the 
singular,  the  height  of  each  column,  but  in  Chronicles  it 
is  in  the  plural,  pillars.  Again,  in  2d  Kings  xxv.  17,  we 
find k£  The  height  of  the  one  pillar  was  eighteen  cubits,  and 
like  unto  these  had  the  second  pillar."  The  total  height 
of  each  pillar,  including  the  chapiter,  was  forty  feet. 

The  Hebrew  Rabbins  affirmed  that  "  these  pillars  were 
hollow  and  contained  the  plans  and  patterns  or  models 
of  the  different  members  of  the  building,  which  were  con- 
sidered as  the  seeds  or  germs  of  the  structure.  The 


102  TRADITIONS   OF   FREEMASONRY. 

names  of  the  pillars  signified  potency  and  perpetuity ; 
the  pomegranates  on  their  capitals  or  chapiters  were 
symbols  of  generation."  Hence  they  have  been  esteemed 
of  Phallic  reference. 

Various  speculations  have  been  indulged  in  relative  to 
the  cause  of  the  erection  of  these  pillars  and  their  sym- 
bolism. 

That  they  were  placed  by  King  Solomon  at  the  east- 
ern porch  in  commemoration  of  that  mighty  east  wind 
by  which  the  waters  of  the  Red  Sea  were  divided. 

That  they  were  placed  eastward  of  the  temple  as  a 
memorial  to  the  Children  of  Israel  of  the  miraculous  pil- 
lars of  fire  and  cloud,  which  had  two  wonderful  effects — 
the  fire  to  give  light  to  the  Israelites  during  their,  escape 
from  their  Egyptian  bondage,  and  the  cloud  proved  dark- 
ness to  Pharaoh  and  his  followers  when  they  attempted 
to  overtake  them. 

But  why  should  King  Solomon  erect  two  pillars  to  re- 
present one  1 

The  equinoctial  points  are  called  pillars,  because  the 
great  semicircle  or  upper  hemisphere  seems  to  rest  upon 
them.  Those  who  assign  to  Masonry  an  astronomical 
origin  say  the  two  pillars  represent  the  two  imaginary 
columns  supposed  to  be  placed  at  the  equinoxes  to  sup- 
port the  heavens. 

Whatever  may  have  been  the  object  in  the  erection 
of  these  pillars,  Solomon  copied  from  the  more  ancient 
style ;  as  the  antiquities  found  in  all  parts  of  the  world 
prove  that  it  was  the  custom  of  the  ancients  to  erect 
pillars  at  the  entrance  to  the  porch  of  their  temples,  and 
that  they  were  generally  in  pairs,  one  on  each  side. 

Thus  the  Temple  of  Luxor  in  Thebes  has  a  grand  en« 
trance  througli.  a  magnificent  propylon  or  gateway,  two 


COINCIDENCES  WITH  THE  MYSTERIES.  103 

hundred  feet  in  front  and  fifty-seven  feet  high  above  the 
present  level  of  the  soil.  Before  the  gateway  stand  the 
two  most  perfect  obelisks  that  exist,  each  about  eighty 
feet  high.  This  temple  is  supposed  to  have  been  erected 
more  than  five  thousand  years  ago. 

In  primitive  times  pillars  were  erected  for  the  purpose 
of  perpetuating  remarkable  events,  and  as  monuments  of 
gratitude  to  Divine  Providence  for  favors  conferred  or 
for  dangers  avoided. 

An  old  Phoenician  tradition  which  has  survived  the 
Flood  says,  "  Hypsuranius  inhabited  Tyre.  He  invented 
huts,  constructed  of  reeds  and  rushes  and  the  papyrus, 
and  he  fell  into  enmity  with  his  brother  Usous,  who  was 
the  inventor  of  clothing  for  the  body,  which  he  made 
from  the  skins  of  the  wild  beasts  which  he  could  catch. 
And  when  there  were  violent  storms  of  rain  and  wind 
the  trees  about  Tyre,  being  rubbed  against  each  other, 
took  fire,  and  all  the  forest  in  the  neighborhood  was 
consumed.  And  Usous,  having  taken  a  tree  and  broken 
off  its  boughs,  was  the  first  who  dared  to  venture  on  the 
sea.  And  he  consecrated  two  pillars  to  fire  and  wind 
and  worshiped  them,  and  poured  out  upon  them  the 
blood  of  the  wild  beasts  he  took  in  hunting.  And  when 
these  men  were  dead,  those  that  remained  consecrated  to 
them  rods  and  worshiped  the  pillars,  and  held  anniver- 
sary feasts  in  honor  of  them. 

Osiris  set  up  pillars  in  commemoration  of  his  con- 
quests, on  which  were  hieroglyphical  inscriptions  im- 
porting the  degree  of  resistance  made  by  the  inhabitants 
of  those  countries  which  he  subdued.  The  ancient  kings 
of  Egypt  followed  this  example,  and  usually  engraved 
records  of  their  conquests,  power  and  magnificence  on 
obelisks  or  pillars.  Sesostris,  in  his  military  progress 


104  TRADITIONS   OP   FREEMASONRY. 

through  the  nations  he  had  vanquished,  erected  pillary, 
on  which  hieroglyphical  inscriptions  were  engraven,  ac- 
companied by  certain  emblematical  devices  expressive 
of  the  bravery  or  pusillanimity  of  the  conquered  people. 
Semiramis  is  said  to  have  erected  an  obelisk  one  hundred 
and  twenty-five  feet  high. 

"  The  most  ancient  way,"  says  Stillingfleet,  "  of  pre- 
serving any  monuments  of  learning  in  those  elder  times, 
was  by  inscriptions  on  pillars,  especially  among  the 
Egyptians,  as  is  evident  from  the  several  testimonies  of 
Galen,  Proclus,  lamblicbus,  and  the  author  of  the  book 
called  '  Sapientia  secundum  Egyptios/  adjoined  to  Aris- 
totle, who  all  concur  in  this :  that  whatever  laudable 
invention  they  had  among  them,  it  was  inscribed  on  some 
pillars,  and  those  preserved  in  their  temples,  which  were 
instead  of  libraries  to  them."  Homer  says,  "  They  had 
also  pillars  or  obelisks  on  every  side,  on  which  was 
delineated  the  whole  of  their  knowledge."  Eusebius 
says  that  "  the  Greeks  received  their  knowledge  from 
the  Atlantians,  who  left  it  in  that  country  engraven  on 
pillars  and  obelisks." 

Sacred  Scriptures  inform  us  of  the  same  custom  both 
in  the  patriarchal  age  and  under  the  theocracy. 

Jacob  erected  a  pillar  at  Bethel  and  at  Galeed,  Joshua 
at  Gilgal,  Samuel  at  Mizpeh  and  Shen.  Numerous  other 
instances  could  be  cited  to  prove  that  the  custom  of 
erecting  commemorative  pillars  was  practiced  by  every 
nation  in  the  world.  In  this  country  we  have  the  monu- 
ment of  "  Bunker  Hill,"  the  obelisk  at  Washington,  the 
monument  in  Baltimore,  etc.,  etc. 

Solomon  adopted  this  custom  in  erecting  his  pillars  at 
the  entrance  to  the  porch  of  the  temple,  which  he  de- 
signed should  be  a  memorial  to  the  Israelites  as  they 


COINCIDENCES   WITH   THE   MYSTERIES.  105 

entered  the  holy  place,  to  warm  their  minds  with  confi- 
dence and  faith  by  this  record  of  the  promises  made  by 
the  Lord  unto  his  father  David,  and  which  were  repeated 
unto  him  in  a  vision,  in  which  the  voice  of  God  pro- 
claimed (1st  Kings  ix.  5),  "  I  will  establish  the  throne  of 
thy  kingdom  upon  Israel  for  ever." 

Before  leaving  the  subject  of  pillars  we  must  notice 
the  tradition  of  the  two  erected  by  Enoch  ;  not  only  be- 
cause of  the  possible  fact  that  the  two  pillars  of  Solomon 
were  erected  to  commemorate  those  of  Enoch,  but  for 
the  important  bearing  they  had  on  a  discovery  that  was 
made  about  the  time  of  the  commencement  of  the  build- 
ing of  the  second  temple  at  Jerusalem. 

It  has  been  heretofore  remarked  on  page  101  that  the 
Hebrew  Rabbins  affirmed  that  the  pillars  at  the  entrance 
to  the  porch  of  the  temple  contained  the  plans,  models, 
etc.,  of  the  same.  Masonic  tradition  says  that  such  mat- 
ters were  therein  placed  to  prevent  their  destruction  by 
inundations  or  conflagration. 

Moses'  account  of  Enoch,  although  brief,  is  yet  more 
full  than  that  given  by  him  of  the  other  patriarchs.  We 
are  informed  of  Adam,  Seth,  and  their  lineal  descendants 
for  six  generations,  without  learning  more  than  that  the 
individual  was  born,  had  children  and  died  at  a  given 
age.  No  single  remark  breaks  the  monotony  of  the  de- 
tail. We  are  told  nothing  of  their  character,  intellect, 
pursuits  or  prowess,  but  when  the  name  of  Enoch  is 
written  this  rigid  rule  gives  way,  and  a  few  expres- 
sive terms  convey  to  the  mind  the  most  exalted  Ideas  of 
his  character  :  "  Enoch  walked  with  God  :  and  he  was 
not ;  for  God  took  him." 

With  the  exception  of  Noah,  and  possibly  Adam,  no 
one  of  the  antediluvians  has  been  the  subject  of  so  many 


10G  TRADITIONS   OP  FREEMASONRY. 

or  so  widely  disseminated  traditions  as  Enoch.  Born  in 
the  year  of  the  World  622,  he  lived  three  hundred  and 
sixty-five  years,  and  was  translated ;  which  occurrence 
took  place,  according  to  ancient  monuments  existing  in  the 
East  in  the  time  of  Eutychius,  Patriarch  of  Alexandria,  on 
Saturday  after  sunset,  the  3d  of  Tisri,  or  30th  September. 
Among  the  numerous  traditions  are  :  That  he  was  the 
first  who  invented  books  and  different  sorts  of  writing, 
and  that  the  alphabet  was  communicated  to  him  by  the 
angel  Gabriel,  and  that  he  was  favored  with  no  less  than 
thirty  books  of  Divine  revelation,  and  was  the  first  who 
wrote  with  a  pen.  That  he  taught  the  sons  of  men  the 
art  of  building  cities,  and  enacted  some  admirable  laws  ; 
that  in  his  days  one  hundred  and  eighty  cities  were  built 
— that  which  was  the  least  was  Edessa.  That  he  pointed 
out  to  the  sons  of  men  that  they  should  worship  God,  by 
fasting,  prayer,  alms,  votive  offerings  and  tithes  ;  and  rep- 
robated drunkenness.  That  he  discovered  the  knowledge 
of  the  zodiac,  and  the  course  of  the  planets  ;  that  he  dis- 
covered, or  made  many  improvements  in  the  science  of  as- 
tronomy, and  was  acquainted  with  the  grand  period  of  six 
hundred  years,  at  the  expiration  of  which  the  sun  and  moon 
return  to  the  precise  situation  they  occupied  at  the  begin- 
ning of  it.  That  he  was  the  first  that  took  up  arms  in 
the  cause  of  God  and  religion  ;  for  that  having  been  sent 
to  preach  unto  and  reclaim  the  wicked  posterity  of  Cain, 
when  they  refused  to  hearken  unto  him  he  made  war 
upon  them,  and  carried  off  their  wives  and  children  into 
slavery.  That  the  Arch-angel  Uriel,  who  presided  over 
the  stars,  revealed  to  him  the  nature  of  the  month  and  the 
tropical  year.  That  he  inherited  the  books  of  Seth  and 
ark  of  Adam,  and  that  lie  lived  by  dint  of  his  own  labor, 
and  was  a  tailor  ! 


COINCIDENCES  WITH  THE  MYSTERIES.  107 

His  name,  in  the  Hebrew  language,  "pfi  Henoch,  sig- 
nifies to  initiate  and  to  instruct,  and  seems  intended  to 
express  the  fact  that  he  was  the  first  to  give  a  decisive 
character  to  the  rites  of  initiation,  and  to  add  to  the 
practice  of  divine  worship  the  study  and  application  of 
human  science.  The  cabalistic  book  of  Raziel  says  that 
he  received  the  divine  mysteries  from  Adam,  through  the 
direct  line  of  the  preceding  patriarchs. 

The  era  of  Enoch,  or  seventh  generation  of  man  ap- 
pears to  have  been  the  Augustian  age  of  the  antediluvian 
world.  Indian  traditions  unite  with  those  preserved 
in  the  most  authentic  manner  in  Chaldea  to  attest  the 
truth  of  the  opinions  prevalent  among  the  Children  of 
Israel,  that  Enoch  was  remarkable  for  his  astronomical 
knowledge.  And  not  only  this,  but  architecture  and  juris- 
prudence, mathematics  and  natural  history  had  reached 
such  a  pitch  of  excellence,  that  Berosus,  with  Babel  re- 
cords under  his  eye,  and  living  in  no  dark  age,  asserts, 
"  From  that  time  nothing  material  has  been  added  by 
way  of  improvement."  In  addition  to  these  scientific 
attainments,  corresponding  literary  efforts  were  put  forth. 
Josephus  and  Berosus  both  testify  that  history  was  studi- 
ously cultivated,  records  and  annals  diligently  compiled,  and 
the  teaching  of  science  and  philosophy  carefully  preserved. 

We  have  the  authority  of  St.  Jude  that  Enoch  was  a 
prophet,  and  foretold  the  destruction  of  the  world  by  fire 
and  the  future  judgment,  to  be  followed  by  an  eternal 
state  of  happiness  or  misery.  In  process  of  time  the 
wickedness  of  the  world  became  so  overwhelming  that 
even  the  posterity  of  Seth  did  not  escape  the  infection. 
By  intermarriages  with  the  apostate  race  of  Cain,  they 
shared  in  the  universal  infatuation,  and  became  obnoxious 
to  the  Divine  wrath. 


108  TRADITIONS  OF  FREEMASONRY. 

It  was  then,  according  to  the  legend  that  has  come  to 
us,  partly  in  the  Rabbinical  writings  and  partly  by  ma- 
sonic tradition,  that  Enoch,  disgusted  with  the  wicked- 
ness that  surrounded  him,  and  appalled  at  the  thought  of  its 
inevitable  consequences,  and  that  notwithstanding  his  oft 
repeated  exhortations  to  them  to  turn  from  their  unright- 
eous ways  and  imitate  the  purity  of  their  fathers  ;  yet  the 
fascinations  of  pleasure  had  so  intoxicated  their  senses 
that  the  sober  admonitions  of  reason  and  duty  were  not 
regarded.  It  was  then  that  Enoch  called  a  special  as- 
sembly of  Masons  in  whom  he  could  confide,  and  in  the 
presence  of  Adam,  Seth,  Jared  his  father  and  Methuselah 
his  son,  he  enumerated  the  accumulating  wickedness  of 
man,  and  the  enormous  evils  which  were  desolating  the 
earth,  and  implored  their  advice  and  assistance  in  stem- 
ming the  torrent  of  impiety  which  threatened  universal 
corruption.  It  was  here  that  Adam  communicated  that 
terrible  prophecy,  that  all  mankind,  except  a  few  just 
persons,  should  so  far  swerve  from  their  allegiance  to 
God  as  to  cause  the  destruction  of  all  created  things, 
either  by  water  or  fire. 

From  this  information  Enoch,  becoming  seriously  anx- 
ious for  the  preservation  of  the  sacred  mysteries  com- 
mitted to  his  charge,  retired  to  the  solitude  and  secrecy 
of  Mount  Moriah  and  devoted  himself  to  prayer  and 
pious  contemplation.  Here  on  this  holy  mount,  then  first 
consecrated  as  a  patriarchal  hermitage,  and  afterward 
to  be  made  still  more  holy  by  the  sacrifices  of  Abraham, 
of  David  and  of  Solomon,  it  is  that  we  are  informed  the  She- 
kinah  or  sacred  presence  appeared  to  him,  and  gave  him 
those  instructions  which  were  to  preserve  the  wisdom  of 
the  antediluvians  to  their  posterity,  when  the  world,  with 
the  exception  of  one  family,  should  be  destroyed. 


COINCIDENCES   WITH  THE  MYSTERIES.  109 

He  dreamed  that  the  Deity  appeared  to  him  in  visible 
shape,  and  said  to  him,  "  Enoch,  thou  hast  longed  to 
know  my  true  name.  Arise  and  follow  me,  and  thou 
shalt  learn  it."  Then  it  seemed  to  Enoch  that  he  was 
taken  up  and  in  an  instant  transported  to  a  mountain, 
whose  summit  was  hid  among  the  clouds  and  seemed  to 
reach  the  stars,  and  there  he  saw  upon  the  clouds,  in  let- 
ters of  brilliant  light,  the  awful  and  mysterious  name, 
mrp»  whose  pronunciation  was  then  whispered  in  his 
ear  and  he  prohibited  from  uttering  it  to  any  man.  In- 
stantly he  seemed  to  be  transported  from  the  mountain, 
and  to  descend  perpendicularly  into  the  earth,  passing 
through  nine  subterranean  apartments,  one  below  the 
other,  and  each  roofed  with  arches  ;  in  the  ninth  or 
lowest  of  which  he  saw,  upon  a  triangular  plate  of  gold 
enchased  with  gems  and  precious  stones,  surrounded  by 
brilliant  rays  of  light  and  lying  on  a  pedestal  of  white 
marble,  the  same  Ineffable  Name  which  he  had  seen  upon 
the  mountain.  Overpowered  by  the  intensity  of  his  feel- 
ings he  awoke. 

Enoch  accepted  this  vision  as  an  inspiration  indicating 
the  means  by  which  the  sacred  mysteries  should  be  pre- 
served to  those  who  should  repeople  the  earth.  With 
the  assistance  of  Jared  and  Methuselah,  who  were  not 
acquainted  with  his  motives  or  object,  he  excavated  a 
vault  of  nine  apartments  in  Mount  Calvary  to  the  per- 
pendicular depth  of  eighty-one  feet. 

These  apartments  were  situated  one  above  the  other, 
each  was  roofed  with  an  arch  supported  by  a  pair  of  pil- 
lars as  he  had  seen  them  in  his  vision,  the  lowest  or  ninth 
being  hewn  out  of  the  solid  rock.  In  the  crown  of  each 
arch  he  left  a  narrow  aperture,  closed  with  a  peculiar 
shaped  stone,  each  of  which  was  furnished  with  a  ring  ol 


110  TRADITIONS   OP   FREEMASONRY. 

iron,  that  it  might  be  more  conveniently  raised  when 
necessary. 

He  then  made  a  plate  of  gold  in  the  form  of  an  equi- 
lateral triangle,  each  of  whose  sides  was  eighteen  inches, 
which  he  enriched  with  precious  stones  and  encrusted  it 
on  a  cube  of  agate.  On  this  plate  he  engraved  the  In- 
effable Name  which  he  had  seen  in  his  vision  ;  and  then 
alone,  in  silence  and  solitude,  he  descended  through  the 
nine  portals  into  the  lowest  apartment  and  placed  this 
invaluable  treasure  upon  a  pedestal  of  white  alabaster. 
The  pedestal  was  triangular  and  hollow,  and  into  it,  from 
a  crevice  in  the  rock,  flowed  a  stream  of  inflammable  air, 
that  burned  continually  with  a  brilliant  light,  until  after 
it  was  discovered  in  the  reign  of  Solomon.  He  then 
closed  up  the  covering,  the  aperture  and  the  stone  that 
closed  it,  and  the  great  ring  of  iron  used  to  raise  the 
stone,  with  the  granite  pavement  of  the  temple  which  he 
erected  over  the  upper  apartment.  The  deposit  of  this 
sacred  treasure  was  not  intrusted  to  any  human  being, 
that  the  secrets  might  there  remain  in  perfect  security 
amid  the  anticipated  destruction  of  mankind. 

Then,  fearing  that  all  knowledge  of  the  arts  and  sciences 
would  be  lost  in  the  destruction  of  man  as  foretold  by 
Adam,  he  built  two  great  columns  or  pillars  upon  a  high 
mountain.  Not  knowing  by  what  means  the  destruction 
of  all  mankind  was  to  be  effected,  whether  by  fire  or  water, 
he  built  one  of  brass  to  resist  water  and  one  of  granite 
to  resist  fire.  Masonic  readers  may  here  find  the  origin 
of  the  ritualistic  phrase,  "  to  prevent  their  destruction  by 
conflagrations  or  inundations" 

Upon  the  granite  column  he  engraved,  in  the  hiero- 
glyphics which  Misraim  afterward  carried  into  Egypt,  a 
description  of  the  subterranean  apartments  and  of  tho 


COINCIDENCES   WITH   THE   MYSTERIES.  Ill 

treasure  there  deposited,  and  on  that  of  brass  the  rudi- 
ments of  all  the  arts  and  sciences  then  known  and  the 
great  truths  familiar  to  the  antediluvian  Masons. 

The  granite  column  was  overturned  and  swept  away 
and  worn  to  a  shapeless  mass  by  the  great  Deluge,  and  the 
characters  upon  it  wholly  obliterated ;  but  that  of  brass,  by 
God's  providence,  stood  firm,  and  was  afterward  found  by 
Noah,  who  sought  in  vain  for  that  of  granite,  the  purport 
of  the  inscription  upon  which  he  knew  from  Methuselah, 
his  grandfather,  but  not"  the  place  of  the  temple  or  the 
subterranean  apartments,  to  which  he  knew  that  inscrip- 
tion would  have  guided  him. 

Josephus  gives  an  account  of  these  pillars  and  ascribes 
them  to  the  children  of  Seth,  which  does  not  contradict  the 
foregoing  tradition,  as  Enoch  was  one  of  those  children. 
The  account  given  by  Josephus  is  as  follows  :  "  Now  this 
Seth,  when  he  was  brought  up  and  came  to  those  years 
in  which  he  could  discern  what  was  good,  he  became  a 
virtuous  man,  and  as  he  was  himself  of  an  excellent 
character,  so  did  he  leave  children  behind  him  who  imi- 
tated his  virtues.  All  these  proved  to  be  of  good  dis- 
positions. They  also  inhabited  the  same  country  with- 
out dissensions  and  in  a  happy  condition,  without  any 
misfortunes  falling  upon  them  till  they  died.  They  also 
were  the  inventors  of  that  peculiar  sort  of  wisdom  which 
is  concerned  with  the  heavenly  bodies  and  their  order. 
And  that  their  inventions  might  not  be  lost  before  they 
were  sufficiently  known,  upon  Adam's  prediction  that 
the  world  was  to  be  destroyed  at  one  time  by  force  of 
fire  and  at  another  by  the  violence  and  quantity  of 
water,  they  made  two  pillars,  the  one  of  brick,  the  other 
of  stone  ;  they  inscribed  their  discoveries  on  them  both, 
that  in  cas*e  the  pillar  of  brick  should  be  destroyed  by 


112  TRADITIONS   OF   FREEMASONRY. 

the  flood  the  pillar  of  stone  might  remain  arid  exhibit 
those  discoveries  to  mankind,  and  also  inform  them  that 
there  was  another  pillar  of  brick  erected  by  them.  Now 
this  remains  in  the  land  of  Siriad  to  this  day." 


CHAPTER  VI. 


FELLOW   CRAFT —  CONTINUED. 

PORCH  of  the  Temple — Tradition  of  the  Ascent  to  the  Middle  Chamber- 
Ternary  Illustrations —  The  Number  Three  venerated  by  all  Antiquity 

—  An  Explication  of  the  Triangle  —  Veneration  for  the  Number  Three 
originated  from  a  Tradition  of  the  Trinity  —  The  Number  Five  —  The 
Number  Seven  —  Illustrations  from  the  Scriptures  —  Eastern  Tradition 

—  Veneration  for  the  Number  Seven — Seven  Liberal  Arts  and  Sciences 

—  Knowledge  among  the  Ancients  —  Originally  Taught  by  God  — Tra- 
ditions—  Opinions  of  Ancient  Writers —  Traditions  of  Writing  before 
the  Flood  —  All  concurring  that  Adam  possessed  the  Art  —  Astronomy 
known  to  the  Ancients  —  Astronomical  Tables  constructed  within  a 
Century  after  the  Deluge— -Egyptian  Traditions  that  the  Science  of  As- 
tronomy was  cultivated  by  Vulcan  (Tubal  Cain)  —  Hebrew  Tradition 
ascribing  its  Invention  to  Seth  —  Traditions  of  Abraham — Origin  of 
Astrology  and  Sabaism  —  Tradition  relative  to  the  Making  of  the  Zodiac 

—  Music  practiced  by  Jubal  —  Chinese  Traditions  —  Harp — Man  was 
Created  with  all  the  Knowledge  a  Finite  Mind  was  capable  of  containing 

—  Symbol  of  Plenty  —  Traditions  of  Jephthah  —  Ephraimites  —  Shibbo- 
leth, Meaning  of  the  Word  —  Letter  G  —  Origin  —  Symbolism  —  Valley 
of  Jehoshaphat  —  Explication  —  Tradition. 

THE  porch  of  King  Solomon's  Temple  was  twenty 
cubits  long  and  ten  broad,  making  a  double  or  oblong 
square.  This  was  called  by  the  Jews  holy,  because  it 
was  the  most  perfect  of  all  quadrangular  figures  except 
the  square,  which  was  called  most  holy.  And  thus  conies 
Masonic  Lodges  to  be  called  holy,  from  their  shape — an 
oblong  square  or  parallelogram. 

Masonic  tradition  tells  us  that  the  ascent  from  the 
porch  or  ground  floor  of  the  temple  to  the  middle 
chamber  was  made  by  fifteen  steps,  divided  into  unequal 
courses.  But  we  have  no  historical  evidence  that  the 
stairs  were  of  the  construction,  or  that  the  chamber  was 


114  TRADITIONS   OF   FREEMASONRY. 

used  for  the  purpose  indicated  in  the  mythical  narrative 
as  it  is  set  forth  in  the  ritual  of  the  second  degree.  The 
legend  is  a  historical  myth,  in  which  the  mystic  number 
of  the  steps,  the  process  of  passing  to  the  chamber  and 
the  wages  there  received,  are  inventions  added  to  or  en- 
grafted on  the  fundamental  history  contained  in  the  sixth 
chapter  of  Kings,  to  inculcate  important  symbolic  in- 
struction relative  to  the  principles  of  the  order.  These 
lessons,  it  is  true,  might  have  been  inculcated  in  a  dry, 
didactic  form,  but  the  allegorical  and  mythical  method 
adopted  tends  to  make  a  stronger  and  deeper  impression 
on  the  mind,  and  at  the  same  time  serves  more  closely 
to  connect  the  institution  of  Masonry  with  Solomon's 
Temple. 

The  analogy  between  the  two  is  most  strikingly  illus- 
trated by  the  triad  references  which  are  common  to  both. 
The  construction  of  the  temple  service  embraced  a  mul- 
tiplicity of  "ternary  allusions,  which  could  only  have  orig- 
inated in  Divine  revelations  that  had  been  communicated 
to  man  in  the  infancy  of  the  world.  In  the  system  of 
Freemasonry  the  same  process  has  been  observed,  and 
perhaps  with  the  same  symbolic  reference  in  its  original 
inception. 

A  few  of  the  ternary  allusions  in  use  among  Masons 
will  be  noticed  as  illustrations. 

There  were  three  places  where  the  materials  for  the 
temple  were  prepared :  the  quarry,  forest  and  plain. 
There  are  three  qualifications  of  a  candidate  :  birth, 
morals  and  age.  There  are  three  questions  propounded 
to  which  an  affirmative  is  required  before  initiation,  and 
admission  is  only  gained  by  the  same  alarm.  There  are 
three  moral  duties,  viz.,  to  God,  our  neighbor  and  our- 
selves. There  are  three  lessons  taught :  secrecy,  morality 


COINCIDENCES   WITH   THE  MYSTERIES.  115 

and  good-fellowship.  There  are  three  qualifications  of 
servitude :  freedom,  fervency  and  zeal — symbolized  by 
chalk,  charcoal  and  clay.  There  are  three  theological 
virtues :  faith,  hope  and  charity.  Three  greater  and 
three  lesser  lights  ;  three  movable  and  three  immovable 
jewels ;  three  articles  of  furniture  ;  three  ornaments ; 
three  principal  officers,  and  three  symbolic  degrees ; 
three  decorations  to  the  pillars  to  the  porch  of  the  tem- 
ple, emblematical  of  peace,  unity  and  plenty. 

On  Mount  Moriah,  where  the  three  great  offerings 
were  made,  viz.,  by  Abraham,  David  and  Solomon,  three 
temples  were  successively  constructed.  The  first  by 
Solomon  and  the  two  Hirams ;  the  second  was  erected 
under  the  superintendence  of  Joshua,  Zerubbabel  and 
Haggai,  who  filled  the  three  great  offices  of  priest,  king 
and  scribe  or  prophet ;  the  third  by  Herod,  Hillel  and 
Shammai.  The  length  of  Solomon's  Temple  was  three 
times  its  breadth ;  it  contained  three  courts,  and  the 
body  of  the  temple  consisted  of  three  parts  :  the  portico, 
the  sanctuary  and  the  most  holy  place.  There  were 
three  curtains,  each  of  three  colors ;  three  orders  of 
priests,  and  three  keepers  of  the  door.  The  golden 
candlestick  had  three  branches  on  each  side,  and  there 
were  three  stones  in  each  row  of  the  high  priest's  breast- 
plate. The  oxen  which  supported  the  molten  sea  were 
arranged  in  threes,  each  triad  looking  toward  one  of 
the  cardinal  points,  and  the  vessel  was  made  of  sufficient 
capacity  to  contain  three  thousand  baths.  To  this  holy 
place  the  Children  of  Israel  were  commanded  to  assem 
ble  three  times  a  year  at  the  three  grand  festivals  :  the 
"Feast  of  the  Passover,  of  Pentecost  and  of  Tabernacles. 

We  find  these  allusions  running  all  through  the  He- 
brew history,  both   before  and   after  the   erection  of 


116  TRADITIONS   OF  FREEMASONRY. 

the  Temple  of  Solomon.  Moses  appointed  by  divine 
authority  six  cities  of  refuge,  three  on  each  side  of  the 
River  Jordan ;  forbade  the  people  to  use  the  fruit  of 
their  newly  planted  trees  till  after  they  were  three  years 
old ;  made  three  witnesses  necessary  to  establish  a  fact 
by  which  the  life  or  property  of  any  individual  was 
brought  in  question.  Elijah  raised  the  widow's  son  by 
stretching  himself  upon  the  child  three  times.  Samaria 
sustained  a  siege  of  three  years.  Some  of  the  kings  of 
Israel  and  Judah  reigned  three  years,  some  three  months, 
and  others  only  three  days.  And  their  sacred  writings 
had  three  grand  divisions :  the  Law,  the  Prophets  and 
the  Psalms. 

The  number  three  as  a  mystical  number  entered  into 
all  of  the  systems  of  the  ancient  mysteries,  and  was  uni- 
versally applied  to  the  Deity,  as  the  equilateral  triangle 
was  his  universal  symbol  and  conveyed  the  idea  of  the 
trinity  of  the  Godhead. 

The  ternary  is  the  first  of  the  unequal  numbers.  The  ' 
triad,  mysterious  number,  which  plays  so  great  a  part  in 
the  traditions  of  Asia,  the  philosophy  of  Plato,  the  mys- 
teries of  all  ages,  an  image  of  the  Supreme  Being,  in- 
cludes in  itself  the  properties  of  the  two  first  numbers. 
It  was  to  the  philosophers  the  most  excellent  and  favorite 
number,  a  mysterious  type,  revered  by  all  antiquity  and 
consecrated  in  the  mysteries  ;  wherefore  there  are  but 
three  essential  degrees  among  Masons,  who  venerate  in 
the  triangle  the  most  august  mystery — that  of  the  Sacred 
Triad,  object  of  their  homage  and  study. 

In  geometry  a  line  cannot  represent  a  body  absolutely 
perfect.  As  little  do  two  lines  constitute  a  figure  de- 
monstratively perfect.  But  three  lines  form  by  their 
junction  the  TRIANGLE,  or  the  first  figure  regularly  per- 


COINCIDENCES    WITH    THE    MYSTERIES.  117 

feet,  and  this  is  why  it  has  served  and  still  serves  tc 
characterize  the  Eternal,  who,  infinitely  perfect  in  his 
nature,  is,  as  Universal  Creator,  the  first  Being  and  con- 
sequently the  first  Perfection. 

The  first  side  of  the  triangle  offered  to  the  study  of 
the  Apprentice  is  the  mineral  kingdom,  symbolized  by 
the  first  artificer  in  metals. 

The  second  side,  the  subject  of  the  meditations  of  the 
Fellow  Craft,  is  the  vegetable  kingdom,  symbolized  by 
an  ear  of  corn. 

The  third  side,  the  study  whereof  is  devoted  to  the 
animal  kingdom,  completes  the  instruction  of  the  Master, 
and  is  symbolized  by son  of  putrefaction. 

Among  the  Greeks,  the  Persians,  the  Hindus  and  the 
Scandinavians,  the  name  of  Deity  consisted  of  three  let- 
ters, and  on  the  upright  tablet  of  the  king  which  was 
discovered  at  Nimroud,  no  less  than  five  of  the  thirteen 
names  of  the  great  gods  consisted  of  three  letters  each. 

The  question  naturally  arises,  How  are  we  to  account 
for  the  universal  use  and  application  of  this  remarkable 
number  ?  We  find  it  before  the  Deluge  and  in  all  the 
mysteries  and  religious  systems  practiced  in  Europe, 
Asia,  Africa,  America  and  the  Isles  of  the  Sea.  Having 
been  venerated  in  the  earliest  ages  of  the  world,  it  must 
have  proceeded  from  the  Creator  himself. 

It  is  a  fair  deduction  that  the  universal  veneration  for 
the  number  three  originated  from  a  tradition  of  the  Holy 
Trinity  revealed  to  Adam,  and  propagated  by  his  de- 
scendants through  the  antediluvian  world.  Known  con- 
sequently to  Noah  and  his  family,  this  doctrine  would 
spread  with  every  migration  of  their  posterity,  and  as  it 
certainly  formed  a  part  of  that  original  system  which  is 
now  termed  Masonry,  so  it  was  introduced  into  every 


118  TRADITIONS    OP    FREEMASONRY. 

perversion  of  that  system,  until  the  doctrine  of  the 
Divine  Triad  was  universally  disseminated  in  every 
nation,  and  was  admitted  by  every  people  in  the  world, 
In  successive  ages  the  true  purport  became  lost  or  mis- 
understood, but  the  principle  remained. 

In  the  symbolism  of  numbers  American  Masons  regard 
the  number  five  as  alluding  to  the  five  orders  in  architec- 
ture and  the  five  human  senses. 

The  Druids  assigned  to  man  seven  senses.  Thus  Talie- 
sin  says  :  "  Of  the  seven  faculties,  one  is  what  I  know  by 
instinct ;  with  the  second,  I  touch  ;  with  the  third,  I  call ; 
with  the  fourth,  I  taste  ;  with  the  fifth,  I  see  ;  with  the 
sixth,  I  hear  ;  with  the  seventh,  I  smell." 

The  ancients  represented  the  world  by  the  number 
five,  and  assigned  as  a  reason  that  it  represented  earth, 
water,  air,  fire,  and  ether  or  spirit.  Under  another  as- 
pect it  was  the  emblem  of  marriage,  because  it  was  com- 
posed of  two,  the  first  equal  number,  and  of  three,  the 
first  unequal  number.  Wherefore  Juno,  the  goddess  of 
marriage,  had  for  her  hieroglyphic  the  number  five.  The 
triple  triangle,  a  figure  of  five  lines  uniting  in  five  points, 
was,  among  the  Pythagorians,  an  emblem  of  health. 

No  number  -has  ever  been  so  universally  in  repute  as 
the  septenary.  The  notion  that  some  peculiar  sanctity 
was  attached  to  it  began  to  be  entertained  at  a  very 
early  period  of  the  world's  history,  and  the  veneration 
for  it  has  been  transmitted  through  all  nations  to  the 
present  day. 

Noah  received  seven  days'  notice  of  the  Deluge  ;  he  se- 
lected of  clean  beasts  and  fowls  by  sevens  ;  the  ark  rested 
in  the  seventh  month,  and  the  doves  were  sent  out  seven 
days  apart.  The  destruction  of  Jericho  was  miraculously 
effected  by  the  use  of  the  same  number  ;  for  seven  priests 


COINCIDENCES  WITH  THE  MYSTERIES.  119 

bearing  seven  rams'  horns  for  trumpets,  were  directed  by 
the  Almighty  to  compass  the  city  seven  days,  and  on  the 
seventh  to  proceed  around  it  seven  times.  Solomon  was 
seven  years  in  building  the  temple ;  it  was  dedicated  in 
the  seventh  month,  and  the  public  festivities  lasted  seven 
days. 

The  Apocalypse  contains  seven  synchronisms,  which 
were  preceded  by  a  succession  of  woes  addressed  to 
seven  churches,  recorded  in  a  book  with  seven  seals,  de- 
nounced by  seven  angels  to  the  sound  of  seven  trumpets, 
and  revealed  by  seven  thunders  or  oracular  voices.  The 
wrath  of  God  against  the  idolatrous  world  is  let  loose 
by  seven  angels,  having  seven  plagues  inclosed  in  seven 
golden  vials. 

The  foregoing  are  but  a  few  illustrations  of  the  use  of 
the  number  seven  found  in  the  holy  writings.  We  find 
this  same  number  permeating  the  mysteries  in  all  ages  : 
The  seven  Cabiri  of  the  Phoenicians  ;  the  seven  Brahma- 
dicas  of  the  Hindus  ;  the  seven  altars,  and  the  ladder  of 
seven  steps  of  the  Persians  ;  the  seven  Amaschaspands  of 
the  Parsees  ;  the  seven  persons  who  returned  from  Caer 
Sidi  of  the  Scandinavians,  etc. 

The  ancients  record  seven  planets,  seven  metals,  seven 
precious  stones,  seven  prismatic  colors,  seven  virtues,  etc. 
There  is  a  tradition  common  among  both  the  Hebrews 
and  the  Mahommedans  that  the  body  of  Adam  was  made 
of  seven  handsful  of  mold  taken  from  the  seven  stages 
of  the  earth. 

An  Eastern  romance  introduces  the  monstrous  bird  or 
griffin,  Simurgh,  as  saying  :  "  That  she  had  lived  to  see 
the  earth  seven  times  filled  with  creatures,  and  seven 
times  reduced  to  a  perfect  void  ;  that  the  age  of  Adam 
would  last  seven  thousand  years,  when  the  present  race 


120  TRADITIONS   OF  FREEMASONRY. 

of  men  would  be  extinguished  and  their  place  supplied  by 
creatures  of  another  form  and  more  perfect  nature,  with 
whom  the  world  would  end  ;  and  that  she  had  seen 
twelve  periods,  each  of  seven  thousand  years." 

The  Mussulmans  reckon  seven  worlds,  seven  climates, 
seven  seas,  seven  holy  temples,  seven  heavens,  and  as 
many  hells. 

Public  sacrifices  were  considered  more  efficacious  when 
offered  to  the  number  of  seven.  As  the  sacrifices  of  the 
children  of  Israel  were  conducted  on  the  septenary  prin- 
ciple, so  were  those  of  the  Hindus,  the  Moabites,  the 
Hermesians,  the  Sabeans,  the  Chinese,  the  ancient  Mexi- 
cans, etc. 

Such  universal  use  of  the  number  seven  must  have  had 
some  great  primitive  starting  point,  which  could  only 
have  been  the  institution  of  the  Sabbath  or  the  salvation 
by  the  ark  of  Noah. 

The  Israelites  regarded  the  number  seven  as  a  sacred 
number.  The  Pythagorians  styled  it  the  perfect  num- 
ber. They  considered  it  worthy  of  the  greatest  venera- 
tion, and  proper  for  religious  services.  Being  perfect, 
they  affirmed  that  it  caused  all  creatures  to  live  which 
were  born  in  the  seventh  month.  The  veneration  for 
this  number  still  remains  ;  even  in  this  country  it  is  vul- 
garly believed  that  the  seventh  son  of  a  seventh  son  will 
be  intuitively  qualified  to  practice  medicine.  A  writer 
of  1660  says  :  "  It  is  manifest  by  experience,  that  the 
seventh  male  child,  by  just  order  (never  a  girl  or  wench 
being  born  between),  doth  heal  only  with  touching 
(through  a  natural  gift)  the  king's  evil,  which  is  a  special 
gift  of  God." 

Among  the  Cabalists  the  septenary  number  denoted 
universality,  and  the  cypher  seven  among  the  Egyptians 


COINCIDENCES    WITH    THE   MYSTERIES.  121 

symbolized  life.  Masons  are  instructed  that  the  number 
seven  alludes  to  the  seven  liberal  arts  and  sciences. 

A  record,  which  is  preserved  in  the  Bodleian  Library, 
and  was  written  about  the  latter  end  of  the  fifteenth  cen- 
tury, thus  particularizes  the  arts  invented  by  Masons  : 

"  Quest.  Whatte  artes  haveth  the  Maconnes  techeddc 
mankynde  ? 

"  Answ.  The  artes  agricultura,  architectura,  astrono- 
mia,  geometri,  numeres,  musica,  poesie,  kymistrye,  gov- 
ernmente,  and  relygyonne. 

"  Quest.  How  commethe  Maconnes  more  techers  than 
odher  menne  ? 

"  Answ.  The  hemselfe  haveth  alleine  in  arte  of  fyndynge 
newe  artes,  whyche  art  the  ffyrste  Maconnes  receaved 
from  Godde  ;  by  the  whyche  they  fyndethe  whatte  artes 
hem  plesethe,  and  the  treu  way  of  techynge  the  same. 
Whatte  odher  menne  doethe  ffynde  out  ys,  onelyche  bey 
ehaunce." 

In  an  old  masonic  MS.  the  origin  of  the  seven  liberal 
arts  and  sciences  was  attributed  to  Euclid  ;  the  idea  must 
have  grown  out  of  the  tradition  that  Euclid  was  the  dis- 
coverer of  geometry  : 

"  He  (Euclid)  commenscd  yn  the  syens  seven  ; 
Gramatica  ys  the  furste  syens  y-wysse, 
Dialetica  the  secunde  so  have  y-blysse, 
Rethoriea  the  thyrdde,  withoute  nay, 
Musica  ys  the  fourthe,  as  y  you  say, 
Astromia  ys  the  v.,  by  my  snowte, 
Arsmetica  the  yi.,  withoute  dowte, 
Gemetria  the  seventhe  maketh  an  ende." 

From  the  two  preceding  extracts  it  is  evident  that  the 
Masonry  of  the  fifteenth  century  (as  it  does  at  this  day) 
inculcated  the  study  of  the  liberal  arts  and  sciences. 
6 


122  TRADITIONS   OF   FREEMASONRY. 

As  the  plan  of  this  work  is  to  connect  that  which  is 
now  known  as  Freemasonry  with  antiquity,  by  illustra- 
tions of  the  coincidences  in  the  use  of  symbols,  cere- 
monies and  dogmas,  it  will  be  legitimate  to  advert  tc 
the  ancient  knowledge  of  the  arts  and  sciences. 

It  is  difficult  to  conceive  of  a  state  of  society  in  which 
arts  could  be  cultivated  and  yet  science  remain  unknown. 
Seldom  does  one  branch  of  knowledge  prosper  and  flour- 
ish alone ;  the  cultivation  which  gives  existence  to  one 
promotes  the  other.  Science  generally  accompanies  liter- 
ature. It  is  a  settled  point,  that  before  the  Deluge  the 
arts  were  practiced  ;  this  implies  some  acquaintance  with 
science.  Not  only  were  dwellings  erected  but  cities 
also  were  built.  Metallurgy  was  understood  and  prac- 
ticed ;  music  was  known,  and  musical  instruments  were 
manufactured  ;  agricultural  operations  were  carried  on  ; 
and,  what  appears  in  itself  to  be  decisive,  the  ark  was 
built,  and  we  have  not  the  slightest  intimation  of  any 
supernatural  aid  having  been  given  in  its  construction. 
The  size  and  form  were  specified,  and  Noah  was  then  left 
to  carry  out  the  plan  by  the  use  of  natural  means. 

Our  attention  will  be  first  directed  to  literature.  The 
savage  never  improves  until  he  comes  in  contact  with 
civilized  man.  Left  to  himself,  his  race  is  always  sink- 
ing to  deeper  degradation  and  final  extinction.  This  is 
probably  a  rule  without  exception.  The  traditions  of  all 
savages  are,  on  this  point,  in  accordance  with  the  Bible. 
They  tell  of  past  days  of  greatness  and  prosperity,  evi- 
dently meaning  civilization.  The  savage  state,  then,  is 
not  one  of  nature,  but  of  degradation,  and  it  is  in  modern, 
rather  than  in  ancient  times  that  this  deplorable  conse- 
quence of  the  sin  that  is  in  man  is  to  be  looked  for.  The 
whole  historv  of  man  since  the  Creation  has  likewise 


COINCIDENCES   WITH  THE   MYSTERIES.  123 

taught  us,  that,  ignorant  of  the  art  of  writing,  he  would 
Boon  become  a  savage  ;  for  we  are  not  aware  that  a  race 
of  human  beings,  entitled  to  be  called  civilized,  ever  ex- 
isted who  were  without  it ;  and  this  consideration  cer- 
tainly renders  it  probable,  that  in  this  art,  as  in  the  use 
of  language,  man  in  his  primitive  state  was  taught  of 
God. 

The  Grecian  historians  say  that  alphabetical  charac- 
ters were  brought  into  their  country  by  Cadmus,  who  is 
supposed  to  have  lived  B.  c.  1493,  and  that  he  came 
from  either  Phoenicia  or  Egypt.  The  best  authorities 
concur  in  ascribing  the  introduction  of  letters  into  Egypt 
to  Thoth  or  Theut,  the  Hermes  of  Greek,  and  the  Mer- 
cury of  Latin,  mythology. 

Diodorus  Siculus  informs  us  that  the  Thoth  to  whom 
the  Egyptians  attributed  the  invention  of  letters  was  a 
sacred  scribe  to  Osiris,  king  of  Egypt,  who  is  said  to 
have  been  the  sun  of  Jupiter.  Of  Osiris  he  says  : 
"  Above  all  others  he  most  honored  Hermes,  one  of  an 
admirable  ingenuity  and  quick  invention  in  finding  out 
what  might  be  useful  to  mankind.  He  found  out  letters." 
Sanchoniatho  the  Phoenician,  whose  writings  are  the  old- 
est of  any  that  have  come  down  to  our  time,  with  the 
exception  of  the  Holy  Scriptures,  says  :  "  From  Misor 
(Missaim)  descended  Taautus,  who  first  invented  the  writ- 
ing of  the  first  letters  :  him  the  Egyptians  called  Thoaz, 
the  Alexandrians  Thyoth,  and  the  Greeks  Hermes."  We 
here  trace  a  knowledge  of  letters  up  to  within  two  gene- 
rations of  the  Deluge.  Chaldea  was  first  peopled  after 
the  Flood,  and  to  that  country  we  should  look  for  tra- 
ditional references  to  an  early  literature.  Josephus  in- 
forms us  that  Abraham  carried  a  knowledge  of  arithme- 
tic and  astronomy  into  Egypt.  Berosus,  a  Babylonian 


124  TRADITIONS    OF    FREEMASONRY. 

historian,  a  priest  of  Belus,  and  who  had  access  to  all  the 
Chaldean  records,  in  his  account  of  the  period  before  the 
Flood,  says  "  that  then  letters  and  sciences,  and  arts  of 
every  kind  were  taught."  Pliny  confirms  this  statement 
by  declaring,  "  As  for  letters,  I  am  of  opinion  they  were 
in  Assyria  from  the  beginning." 

The  Hebrew  commentators  on  Genesis  say  :  "  Our  rab- 
bins assert  that  Adam,  our  father  of  blessed  memory, 
composed  a  book  of  precepts  which  were  delivered  to 
him  by  God  in  Paradise."  And  Josephus  says  "  that 
the  births  and  deaths  of  illustrious  men  [referring  to 
the  patriarchs  from  Adam  to  Noah]  were  noted  down 
at  the  time  with  great  accuracy."  It  is  hence  apparent 
that  the  Greeks,  Egyptians,  Phoenicians,  Chaldees  and 
Hebrews  unite  in  ascribing  the  use  of  letters  to  the  very 
earliest  period  of  their  respective  histories.  The  tradi- 
tions of  many  nations  have  come  down  to  us  sustaining 
the  fact  that  a  knowledge  of  writing  was  communicated 
to  Adam. 

A  Hindu  tradition  says  that  "  a  knowledge  of  letters 
was  communicated  by  Divine  revelation."  An  Egyptian 
tradition  says  "  that  their  god  Anubis  wrote  annals  be- 
fore the  Flood." 

The  Chinese  have  traditions  that  the  earliest  race  of 
the  nation,  at  a  time  beyond  all  authentic  history,  were 
acquainted  with  political  institutions,  taught  all  the  arts 
of  life,  and  even  wrote  books.  Suidas,  a  Greek  lexicog- 
rapher asserts  that  "  Adam  was  the  author  of  arts  and 
letters."  Strabo  attributes  to  the  earliest  inhabitants  of 
Spain  the  possession  of  written  records,  the  date  of  which 
was  antecedent  to  the  Deluge.  The  Mahommedans  have 
a  tradition  that  Adam  composed  poetry — some  specimens 
they  pretend  to  have  preserved  ;  and  that  twenty-nine 


COINCIDENCES    WITH    THE   MYSTERIES.  125 

books  of  revelation  were  made  to  Seth,  and  thirty  books 
to  Enoch. 

The  Persians  have  traditions  of  the  existence  of  books 
in  the  earliest  ages.  "  The  first  monarch  of  Iran,  and  of 
the  whole  earth,  was  Mahabad ;  he  received  from  the 
Creator  and  promulgated  among  men  a  sacred  book  in 
a  heavenly  language."  This  Mahabad  was  in  the  esti- 
mation of  the  ancient  Persians,  "  the  person  left  at  the 
end  of  the  last  great  cycle,  and  consequently  the  father 
of  this  present  world.  He  and  his  wife,  having  survived 
the  former  cycle,  were  blest  with  a  numerous  progeny. 
To  improve  their  condition  he  planted  gardens,  invented 
ornaments  and  forged  weapons."  The  ancient  mythology 
of  India  contains  similar  traditions.  "In  the  days  of 
Buddha  Guatama  (Noah),  when  the  earth  poured  forth 
an  inundation  of  waters,  to  assist  him  against  the  Assurs, 
or  impenitent  antediluvians,  five  Holy  Scriptures  de- 
scended from  above,  which  confer  powers  of  knowledge 
and  retrospection."  Again,  in  the  first  Avator  of  Vishnu, 
we  are  told  that  the  Divine  ordinances  which  flowed  from 
the  lips  of  Bramah  were  stolen  by  the  demon  Hayagriva, 
while  he  slumbered  at  the  close  of  a  prior  world.  For 
the  purpose  of  recovering  them,  Yishnu  became  incarnate 
in  the  form  of  a  fish.  Under  that  form  he  preserved 
Menu  in  an  ark,  while  the  whole  world  was  inundated  by 
a  deluge  ;  and  when  the  waters  retired,  he  slew  the  de- 
mon and  recovered  the  holy  books  from  the  bottom  of 
the  sea. 

The  Chaldean  records  preserved  by  Berosus  says,  that 
before  the  Flood  "  Cannes  wrote  concerning  the  genera- 
tion of  mankind  and  their  civil  polity.  In  his  time  hap- 
pened a  great  deluge.  The  deity  Cronus  appeared  to 
him  in  a  vision  and  warned  him  that  upon  the  fifteenth 


126  TRADITIONS    OF    FREEMASONRY. 

day  of  the  month  Daesius  there  would  be  a  flood  by 
which  mankind  would  be  destroyed.  He  therefore  en- 
joined him  to  write  a  history  of  the  beginning,  proce- 
dure and  conclusion  of  all  things,  and  to  bury  it  in  the 
City  of  the  Sun,  at  Sippara."  The  account  further  states 
that  after  the  Flood  "  the  writings  were  sought  for  and 
found  at  Sippara,  and  ordered  to  be  made  known  to  all 
mankind." 

A  Mahommedan  tradition  says  "  that  Abraham  found 
among  the  Sabians  the  long  lost  chest  of  Adam,  which 
contained  the  book  of  that  patriarch,  and  likewise  those 
of  Seth  and  Edris  or  Enoch." 

Here  we  find  learned  Chaldean,  Phoenician,  Egyptian, 
Greek,  Hebrew  and  Samaritan  authors  concurring  with 
traditions  that  letters  were  known  to  Adam,  and  were 
handed  down  to  posterity  through  his  sons. 

Some  may  be  disposed  to  esteem  these  traditions  very 
lightly  on  account  of  the  fabulous  matter  with  which  they 
are  mixed  up.  This  is  in  reality  no  objection  to  the 
tradition  itself.  We  find  numerous  references  to  the 
Creation  and  the  Deluge  associated  with  a  mass  of  my- 
thology and  fable,  which  present  to  the  eye  of  a  careless 
observer  nothing  but  a  jargon  of  absurdities,  yet,  the  per- 
sons who  wrote  these  must  have  had  an  idea  of  both 
these  great  events.  So  of  the  traditions  respecting  early 
written  books  ;  the  persons  who  transmitted  these  to  us, 
however  mistaken  in  points  of  detail,  must  themselves 
have  believed  in  the  leading  facts.  These  being  so 
widely  disseminated  is  another  strong  argument  to  sus- 
tain the  theory  that  Adam  had  a  knowledge  of  writing. 

A  knowledge  of  arithmetic  and  geometry  is  absolutely 
necessary  to  the  cultivation  of  the  science  of  astronomy, 
and  as  so  much  space  has  been  devoted  to  writing,  and 


COINCIDENCES    WITH    THE    MYSTERIES.  127 

inferentially  to  grammar,  rhetoric  and  logic,  our  obser- 
vations will  now  be  principally  confined  to  astronomy,  as 
illustrating  the  ancient  knowledge  of  that  science,  and 
also  of  arithmetic  and  geometry. 

In  the  oldest  existing  empire  in  the  world,  China,  we 
find  notices  of  astronomical  science  in  their  earliest  his- 
tory. The  Emperor  Fohi  began  his  reign  B.  c.  2953^ 
or,  according  to  the  Septuagint  chronology,  about  two 
hundred  years  after  the  Deluge.  He,  so  says  the  Chinese 
sacred  book  "Chou-King,"  constructed  astronomical  tables, 
assigned  a  figure  to  the  heavenly  bodies  and  taught  the 
science  of  their  motion.  The  solstitial  and  equinoctial 
points  were  then  discovered,  and  the  actual  period  of  the 
year,  consisting  of  three  hundred  and  sixty-five  days,  six 
hours,  with  the  bissextile,  as  well  as  the  lunar  periods, 
reconciled  to  the  motion  of  the  sun,  were  recorded. 

The  Persians,  in  the  earliest  period  of  their  history, 
were  acquainted  with  astronomy.  Jemsheed,  who  reigned 
B.  c.  2110,  is  said  to  have  introduced  the  solar  year  and 
to  have  caused  the  first  day  of  it,  when  the  sun  enters 
Aries,  to  be  celebrated  by  a  splendid  festival.  We  fur- 
ther learn  from  the  Persian  books  that  there  were  for- 
merly four  bright  stars  which  pointed  out  the  four  cardi- 
nal points  of  the  heavens ;  and  it  is  a  very  remarkable 
circumstance,  in  which  chance  could  have  no  share,  that 
B.  c.  3102  the  stars  Aldebaran  and  Antares  were  situated 
exactly  in  the  two  equinoctial  points,  while  Regulus  and 
the  Southern  Fish  were  placed  in  the  two  solstices.  These 
observations  prove  that  the  Persians  had  a  knowledge  of 
astronomy,  and  recorded  their  observations  within  a  cen- 
tury of  the  Deluge. 

The  astronomical  tables  of  India  prove  that  this  sci- 
ence was  understood  at  as  early  a  period  in  the  world's 


128  TRADITIONS    OP    FREEMASONRY. 

history  in  India  as  in  Persia.  The  tables  of  Tirvalore, 
which  were  brought  to  Europe  in  A.  D.  1687,  contain  the 
records  of  observations  which  coincide  with  B.  c.  3102. 
Their  accuracy,  as  proved  by  the  calculations  of  several 
eminent  astronomers,  confirms  the  claim  of  these  tables 
to  the  era  named. 

Alexander  the  Great  subdued  Babylon  B.  c.  331.  The 
priests  of  Belus  then  exhibited  to  him  tables  containing 
the  observations  of  the  Chaldean  astronomers  for  a  pe- 
riod of  nineteen  hundred  and  three  years  previous  to 
that  time.  The  Chaldees  were  acquainted  with  the  pe- 
riod of  six  hundred  years,  and  they  calculated  the  return 
of  comets,  and  possessed  a  rich  fund  of  astronomical 
knowledge  which  could  only  be  obtained  at  an  era  in 
which  this  sublime  science  had  been  previously  cultivated 
and  improved  by  a  long-continued  series  of  effort  and 
observation.  That  the  ancient  Egyptians  were  acquainted 
with  astronomy  cannot  be  doubted,  when  it  is  consid- 
ered that  they  were  the  instructors  of  Greece,  and  in 
deed  of  all  Europe,  in  this  and  other  sciences.  They 
appear  to  have  had  traditions  of  the  existence  of  this 
science  extending  back  to  the  time  of  Vulcan,  who,  in 
all  probability,  is  the  same  with  Tubal-Cain  ;  and  they 
believe  that  it  was  cultivated  among  them  by  Thoth,  the 
grandson  of  Ham. 

The  Hebrews  entertained  similar  views  of  the  ac- 
quaintance of  their  ancestors  with  astronomy.  Josephus 
assures  us  that  the  children  of  Seth  "  were  the  inventors 
of  that  peculiar  sort  of  wisdom  which  is  concerned  with 
the  heavenly  bodies  and  their  order,"  and  they  took  care 
to  record  their  discoveries  that  they  might  not  be  lost  to 
posterity. 

A  masonic  MS.  written  in  the  tenth  century  and  de- 


COINCIDENCES   WITH   THE   MYSTERIES.  129 

posited  in  the  British  Museum,  contains  a  tradition  that 
Abraham  taught  the  Egyptians  the  seven  liberal  arts  and 
sciences. 

Eupolemus  says,  that  "  in  the  tenth  generation  (after 
the  Flood),  in  the  city  of  Camarina  of  Babylonia,  which 
some  call  the  city  of  Uric  and  which  signifies  a  city  of 
the  Chaldees,  the  thirteenth  in  descent,  lived  Abraham, 
of  a  noble  race  and  superior  to  all  others  in  wisdom,  of 
whom  they  related  that  he  was  the  inventor  of  astrology 
and  Chaldean  magic  ;  and  that  on  account  of  his  eminent 
piety  he  was  esteemed  of  God.  It  is  further  said  that, 
under  the  directions  of  God,  he  removed  and  lived  in 
Phoenicia,  and  there  taught  the  Phoenicians  the  motions 
of  the  sun  and  moon  and  all  other  things  ;  for  which 
reason  he  was  held  in  great  reverence  by  their  king." 

Berosus  also,  speaking  of  Abraham,  says  that  "  after 
the  Deluge,  in  the  tenth  generation,  was  a  certain  man 
among  the  Chaldees  renowned  for  his  justice  and  great 
exploits,  and  for  his  skill  in  the  celestial  sciences." 

Josephus  adds  his  testimony  relative  to  Abraham's 
knowledge  of  astronomy  ;  he  says,  "  He  communicated 
unto  them  arithmetic,  and  delivered  unto  them  the  science 
of  astronomy  ;  for  before  Abraham  came  into  Egypt  they 
were  unacquainted  with  those  parts  of  learning  ;  for 
that  science  came  from  the  Chaldees  into  Egypt,  and 
from  thence  to  the  Greeks  also/'7 

Astronomy,  or  astrology  as  the  science  was  termed  for 
many  ages,  was  intimately  connected  with  the  religion  of 
the  Zabii  (Sabians),  worshipers  of  the  host  of  heaven. 
From  the  cities  of  Ur  and  Babylon,  northward  to  the 
remotest  regions  of  Caucasus  and  the  Scythian  nomades, 
and  southward  to  the  shores  of  the  Erythrian  ocean,  the 
nations  adored  the  sun,  the  moon  and  the  host  of  heaven, 
(i* 


130  TRADITIONS   OF   FREEMASONRY. 

Such,  undoubtedly,  was  the  first  deviation  from  the  wor- 
ship of  the  true  God.  "We  can  readily  conceive  how  this 
was  brought  about  among  a  people  who,  imagining  them- 
selves taught  from  heaven,  mistook  the  sign  for  the  cause. 

It  is  recorded  in  Genesis,  i.  14  :  "  And  God  said,  Let 
there  be  lights  in  the  firmament  of  the  heaven,  to  divide 
the  day  from  the  night ;  and  let  them  be  for  signs,  and 
for  seasons,  and  for  days  and  years."  The  attention  of 
mankind  was  thus  directed  to  the  movements  of  the  ce- 
lestial bodies. 

The  periodical  ascension  and  departure  of  certain  stars, 
or  groups  of  stars,  having  been  remarked  to  be  the  invari- 
able forerunners,  and  others  the  never-failing  concomit- 
ants of  the  annual  changes  of  the  seasons,  began,  in  time, 
to  be  regarded  as  the  cause  instead  of  the  sign  by  which 
their  agricultural,  marine  and  other  operations  in  life 
were  to  be  regulated.  These  movements  soon  became  as- 
sociated in  their  minds  with  the  fates  of  individuals  and 
empires  ;  those  who  pointed  out  their  unerring  courses, 
and  formed  those  highly  useful  associations  of  works 
and  days  became  the  honored  interpreters  of  the  secrets 
of  nature,  or  the  will  of  Heaven  ;  and  thus  arose  the  sci- 
ence of  astrology,  or  astronomy,  after  the  Deluge. 

In  the  absence  of  instruments  wherewith  to  measure 
time,  the  ancients  adopted  a  device  both  simple  and  in- 
genious to  divide  the  zodiac  into  twelve  equal  parts 
They  took  a  vessel  with  a  small  hole  in  the  bottom,  and 
having  filled  it  with  water  suffered  the  same  to  distil, 
drop  by  drop,  into  another  vessel  set  beneath  to  receive 
it,  beginning  at  the  moment  when  some  star  rose  and 
continuing  till  it  rose  the  next  following  night  when  it 
would  have  performed  one  complete  revolution  in  the 
heavens.  The  water  falling  down  into  the  receiver  they 


COINCIDENCES  WITH  THE  MYSTERIES.  131 

divided  it  into  twelve  equal  parts  ;  and  having  twelve 
other  small  vessels  in  readiness,  each  of  them  capable  of 
containing  one  part,  they  again  poured  all  the  water  into 
the  upper  vessel ;  and  observing  the  rising  of  some  star 
in  the  zodiac,  at  the  same  time  suffered  the  water  to  drop 
into  one  of  the  small  vessels,  and  as  soon  as  it  was 
full  they  removed  it  and  set  an  empty  one  in  its  place. 
Just  as  each  vessel  was  full  they  took  notice  what  star 
of  the  zodiac  rose  at  that  time,  and  thus  continued 
the  process  through  the  year  until  the  twelve  vessels 
were  filled. 

Thus  the  zodiac  was  divided  into  twelve  equal  portions 
corresponding  to  the  twelve  months  of  the  year,  com- 
mencing at  the  vernal  equinox.  Each  of  these  portions 
served  as  the  visible  representative  or  sign  of  the  month 
it  appeared  in.  All  those  stars  in  the  zodiac  which  were 
observed  to  rise  while  the  first  vessel  was  filling  were 
constellated  and  included  in  the  first  sign  and  called 
Aries,  an  animal  held  in  great  esteem  by  the  shepherds  of 
Chaldea.  All  those  stars  in  the  zodiac  which  rose  while 
the  second  vessel  was  filling  were  constellated  and  in- 
cluded in  the  second  sign,  which,  for  a  similar  reason, 
was  denominated  Taurus.  The  third  was  called  Gemini, 
in  allusion  to  the  twin  season  of  the  flocks.  Thus  each 
sign  of  thirty  degrees  in  the  zodiac  received  a  distinctive 
appellation,  which  names,  in  addition  to  those  named, 
were,  Cancer ',  Leo,  Virgo,  Libra,  Scorpio,  Sagittarius, 
Capricornus,  Aquarius  and  Pisces  ;  and  which  names 
nave  ever  been  retained,  although  the  constellations 
themselves  have  since  left  their  nominal  signs  more  than 
thirty  degrees  behind. 

The  art  of  combining  sounds  agreeable  to  the  ear  ap- 
pears to  have  been  practiced  very  soon  after  the  Creation. 


132  TRADITIONS  OF  FREEMASONRY. 

Moses  tells  us  that  Jubal,  the  son  of  Lainech  and  half- 
brother  of  Tubal-Cain,  was  "  the  father  of  all  such  as 
handle  the  harp  and  organ." 

The  Chinese  traditions  ascribe  the  discovery  of  music 
to  Eve.  They  say  the  instruments  seng  and  hoang  served 
her  to  communicate  with  the  eight  winds.  That  by 
means  of  the  konene,  or  double  flute,  she  united  all  sounds 
into  one  ;  that  she  had  a  guitar  of  five  strings  which  she 
called  so ;  that  she  made  another  of  fifty  strings  whose 
sound  was  so  affecting  that  it  could  not  be  borne,  where- 
fore she  reduced  the  strings  to  twenty-five,  to  diminish 
their  force. 

The  harp  of  the  present  age  is  the  same  in  shape  and 
general  make  as  that  used  by  the  Egyptians  four  thousand 
or  more  years  ago.  The  discoveries  in  Nimroud  prove  that 
the  ancient  Chaldees  had  a  variety  of  musical  instru- 
ments. The  savages  in  Central  Africa,  in  the  "  Isles  of 
the  Sea,"  the  ancient  Mexican  and  Peruvian  races,  and 
the  Indian  tribes  of  North  America,  all  were  found  to  be 
in  possession  of  musical  instruments  when  first  visited 
by  the  white  race. 

Did  God  place  man  upon  earth,  elevated  in  the  scale 
of  being  above  the  beasts  only  by  his  posture  and  capa- 
city, to  acquire  the  arts  of  civilized  life  ?  or,  Was  he 
created  with  a  knowledge  of  arts  and  sciences  ?  are  ques- 
tions which  have  received  the  attention  of  the  learned 
for  many  ages.  It  is  not  proposed  to  discuss  the  ques- 
tion in  these  pages,  or  to  cite  arguments  pro  or  con,  but 
to  give  the  masonic  idea. 

Nothing  can  be  more  explicit  than  the  information 
which  is  afforded  by  that  great  light  in  Masonry,  the 
Holy  Bible.  From  it  we  learn  that  man  was  created  in 
the  image  of  God,  and  although  he  afterward  fell  into 


COINCIDENCES  WITH  THE  MYSTERIES.  133 

Bin,  nevertheless  his  character  is  exhibited  as  replete 
with  intelligence  and  distinguished  by  the  constant 
exercise  of  superior  talent  and  energy.  We  suppose 
that  Adam  was  created  a  perfect  man,  not  only  in  his 
form,  but  also  in  the  accomplishments  of  his  mind  ;  for,  to 
imagine  that  he  came  from  the  Divine  hand  in  a  state  of 
stupidity  and  ignorance,  would  be  doubting  the  goodness 
of  the  Creator  and  the  truth  of  Holy  Writ.  He  had  the 
dominion  over  every  thing  upon  tl^e  earth,  and  it  was  re- 
ferred to  himself  to  give  names  to  the  animal  creation ; 
and  if  we  call  to  mind  that  God  said,  "  Let  us  make  man 
in  our  own  image,"  we  cannot  but  allow  that  he  was  wise 
and  endowed  with  all  the  knowledge  that  his  finite  state 
was  capable  of  receiving,  because  making  him  in  his  own 
image  could  not  regard  his  corporeal  but  his  mental 
state  alone.  Such  is  the  idea  inculcated  by  masonic 
traditions. 

The  next  symbol  that  claims  attention  in  pursuance  of 
our  plan  is  the  emblem  of  Plenty.  It  is  an  ear  of  corn 
suspended  near  a  ivater-fall.  Two  reasons  are  assigned 
for  the  introduction  of  this  symbol  into  Freemasonry. 
One  is,  that  it  was  intended  to  perpetuate  the  remem- 
brance of  the  transit  over  the  River  Jordan  by  the  armies 
of  Israel  when  they  entered  the  land  of  Canaan  for  the 
first  time,  under  the  command  of  Joshua.  This  event,  so 
important  in  the  Jewish  history,  having  taken  place  at 
the  celebration  of  the  Passover,  when  the  promised  land 
was  covered  with  fields  of  ripe  corn,  the  "  ear"  was  as- 
sumed as  an  emblem  of  that  "  plenty"  which  gladdened 
their  hearts  after  a  pilgrimage  of  forty  years  in  the  wil- 
derness, where  they  had  been  fed  with  manna  only,  and 
eagerly  longed  for  a  change  of  food. 

The  other  relates  to  a  passage  in  the  life  of  Jephthah, 


134  TRADITIONS    OP    FREEMASONRY. 

Judge  of  Israel.  The  Ammonites  had  come  to  make 
war  against  the  Israelites  with  a  large  army.  But 
the  Israelites  were  without  a  leader,  no  man  among  them 
seemed  possessed  of  the  requisite  talents,  courage  and 
experience  to  defeat  the  large  army  opposed  to  them. 
In  this  emergency  their  attention  was  turned  to  Jeph- 
thah,  who  was  known  to  "be  a  mighty  man  of  valor.  He 
was  of  the  family  of  Gilead,  but,  his  mother  being  a  Gen- 
tile woman,  when  he  grew  up  his  brethren  would  not 
allow  him  to  share  their  father's  inheritance  with  them, 
and  drove  him  away.  Upon  this  he  appears  to  have 
gathered  to  himself  a  few  lawless  young  men  and  retired 
with  them  to  the  land  of  Job,  where  he  lived  in  a  man- 
ner that  had  given  his  name  great  celebrity  for  deeds  of 
daring  and  martial  prowess.  To  him,  therefore,  the 
elders  of  Israel  sent  some  of  their  number,  inviting  him 
to  return  and  take  upon  himself  the  conduct  of  the  war. 

Jephthah  refused  to  comply  with  their  requests  except 
on  the  condition  that  his  half-brother,  Abeliacab,  by 
whose  intrigues  he  was  originally  banished,  was  put  to 
death  and  himself  invested  with  power  as  the  head  of 
his  family  and  tribe.  These  preliminaries  being  acceded 
to  and  ratified  by  a  solemn  appeal  to  Jehovah,  Jephthah 
assumed  the  command,  and,  after  an  unsuccessful  attempt 
at  negotiation  with  the  enemy,  he  put  his  army  in  battle 
array  and  in  a  well-contested  fight  defeated  the  Am- 
monites with  great  slaughter,  captured  twenty  cities,  and 
delivered  his  country  from  all  future  incursions  of  this 
people. 

The  character  of  the  Ephraimites  was  that  of  a  tur- 
bulent and  clamorous  people.  Jephthah  had  frequently 
expostulated  with  them  and  tried  mild  and  lenient  means 
to  quiet  them  without  avail.  They  became  highly  .in- 


COINCIDENCES  WITH  THE  MYSTEKIES.  135 

censed  because,  as  they  averred,  Jephthah  had  not  called 
upon  them  to  fight,  and  consequently  share  in  the  rich 
spoils  of  the  Ammonites  ;  they  gathered  together  a  mighty 
army,  crossed  the  Kiver  Jordan  and  prepared  to  give  Jeph- 
thah battle  as  he  was  returning  home  with  his  victorious 
army. 

The  Ephraimites  proceeded  to  expostulate  with  him  in 
haughty  and  overbearing  language,  and  threatened  to 
burn  and  destroy  his  house  by  fire.  Nor  were  taunts 
withheld  from  the  elders  of  Gilead,  whom  they  represented 
as  being  fugitives  and  outcasts  from  Ephraim  and  Ma- 
nasseh.  Finding  peaceful  arguments  of  no  avail,  Jephthah 
brought  forth  the  armies  of  Gilead,  and  gave  the  Ephra- 
imites battle  in  a  field  of  standing  corn.  After  a  smart 
engagement  the  Ephraimites  found  themselves  unable  to 
cope  with  Jephthah,  and  therefore  they  sounded  a  retreat 
and  endeavored  to  provide  for  their  own  safety  by  pass- 
ing over  the  fords  of  Jordan  and  seeking  refuge  in  their 
own  country. 

Jephthah  had  taken  the  precaution  to  station  guards  at 
the  various  fords  of  the  river  to  intercept  their  flight 
and  to  render  permanent  the  effects  of  his  victory.  We 
are  told  in  the  Book  of  Judges  xii.  5,  6  :  "  And  the 
Gileadites  took  the  passages  of  Jordan  before  the  Ephra- 
imites :  and  it  was  so,  that  when  those  Ephraimites  which 
were  escaped  said,  Let  me  go  over  ;  that  the  men  of 
Gilead  said  unto  them,  Art  thou  an  Ephraimite  ?  If  he 
said,  Nay ;  then  said  they  unto  him,  Say  now  Shibboleth  ; 
and  he  said  Sibboleth  :  for  he  could  not  frame  to  pro- 
nounce it  right.  Then  they  took  him,  and  slew  him  at 
the  passages  of  Jordan  :  and  there  fell  at  that  time  of 
the  Ephraimites  forty  and  two  thousand."  That  test-word 
was  afterward  used  among  the  Gileadites  to  distinguish 


136  TRADITIONS  OF  FREEMASONRY. 

friend  from  foe,  in  the  dark  as  in  the  light.  The  word 
chosen  by  the  Gileadites,  meaning  a  stream  of  waters, 
being  the  object  immediately  before  them,  was  well  calcu- 
lated to  put  the  Ephraimites  off  their  guard  ;  other  words 
might  have  been  selected  which  would  have  presented 
the  same  difficulty  in  pronunciation  ;  as  shemish,  the  sun ; 
shelosha,  three  ;  shalsheleh,  a  chain,  etc. ;  but  the  word 
proposed  was  shibboleth,  because  of  the  then  present  oc- 
casion ;  the  Ephraimites  are  put  to  call  the  stream,  that 
they  desired  to  pass  over  by  the  right  name,  and  they 
could  not  name  it.  Shibboleth  means  "  ears  of  corn,"  in 
the  Eleusinian  mysteries. 

In  the  adytum  or  sanctuary  of  the  Egyptian  Temple  of 
Edfou,  which  is  supposed  to  have  been  the  model  of  the 
temple  at  Jerusalem,  was  represented  the  Deity,  for 
whose  worship  the  temple  was  erected.  About  the 
dormer  of  the  middle  chamber  of  Solomon's  Temple,  in 
plain  view  of  all  who  entered,  was  inscribed  the  Ineffable 
Name  ;  and  in  the  place  representing  the  middle  chamber 
in  a  Mason's  Lodge,  an  emblem  is  suspended,  to  which 
the  attention  of  the  initiate  is  particularly  directed, 
possessing  the  same  symbolic  allusions  as  in  the  Tem- 
ples of  Edfou  and  of  Solomon. 

Thus  the  symbol  is  traced  back  to  a  time  anterior  to 
that  in  which  Abraham  left  the  land  of  Ur  of  the  Chal- 
dees  and  journeyed  to  Egypt,  for  the  Temple  of  Edfou 
was  even  then  an  ancient  building.  The  triangle,  with  a 
jod  in  the  centre  (A),  was  the  original  symbol;  but 
during  the  Dark  Ages,  when  Masonry  was  in  the  hands  of 
unlettered  men,  the  explanation  of  this  symbol,  as  also 
of  some  others  which  have  been  noticed,  was  lost  or  for- 
gotten ;  and  about  the  time  that  the  English  word  God 
came  into  use,  the  letter  G  was  substituted  for  the  & 


COINCIDENCES  WITH  THE  MYSTERIES.  137 

and  a  new  explanation  given.  Masonry  had  fell  into  the 
hands  of,  and  for  a  long  series  of  years  was  almost  en- 
tirely cultivated  by,  bodies  of  traveling  architects  and 
builders,  until  it  began  to  be  considered  an  operative  as- 
sociation. An  acquaintance  with  geometry  is  necessary 
to  a  thorough  knowledge  of  architecture,  and  the  letter 
G,  being  the  initial  of  geometry,  was  explained  as  the 
symbol  of  that  science. 

The  letter  G  occupies  a  prominent  position  in  several 
of  the  degrees  in  the  American  system  ;  is  found  in  many 
of  the  degrees  of  the  Ancient  and  Accepted  Scottish 
Rite ;  in  Adonhiramite  Masonry  ;  and,  in  fact,  in  every 
one  of  the  many  systems  in  which  the  people  of  the  six- 
teenth and  seventeenth  centuries  were  so  prolific  in  man- 
ufacturing. Wherever  we  find  this  recondite  symbol  in 
any  of  the  masonic  rites,  it  has  the  same  significance — a  sub- 
stitute for  the  Hebraic /#<#,  the  initial  letter  of  THE  DIVINE 
NAME,  and  a  monagram  that  expressed  the  UNCREATED 
BEING,  principle  of  all  things  ;  and,  inclosed  in  a  triangle, 
THE  UNITY  OF  GOD.  We  recognize  the  same  letter  G  in 
the  Syriac  GAD,  the  Swedish  GUD,  the  German  GOTT, 
and  the  English  GOD — all  names  of  the  Deity,  and  all  de- 
rived from  the  Persian  GODA,  itself  derived  from  the 
absolute  pronoun  signifying  HIMSELF.  The  young  Fel- 
low Craft  is  the  representative  of  a  student  of  the 
sciences,  and  to  him  the  letter  G  represents  the  science 
of  geometry.  Its  deeper  meaning  is  properly  reserved 
for  more  advanced  degrees. 

The  surface  of  the  mountain  upon  which  Solomon's 
Temple  was  built  was  very  irregular.  In  order  to  insure 
a  space  sufficiently  capacious  for  the  entire  structure,  and 
to  form  a  level  site  for  the  foundation  on  the  eastern  side, 
a  wall  was  built  up  from  the  valley  six  hundred  feet  in 


138  TRADITIONS  OP  FREEMASONRY. 

height.  Josephus  says  the  stones  were  fifty  feet  long, 
twenty-four  broad  and  sixteen  thick. 

The  valley  received  the  various  appellations  of  Kidron, 
Hinnom,  Gehennora  and  Jehoshaphat. 

The  temple  worship  required  offerings  of  animals  to 
be  burnt  upon  the  altar.  None  but  such  as  were  per- 
fectly formed  and  healthy  were  considered  proper  to  be 
offered  as  sacrifices ;  the  throat  was  first  cut  across  to 
let  out  the  blood,  the  breast  was  next  torn  open  to  ascer- 
tain if  there  was  any  disease  or  malformation  ;  if  so,  the 
animal  was  rejected  as  unfit  for  sacrifice  and  the  carcass 
thrown  into  this  deep  valley.  The  idolatrous  worship  of 
Moloch  was  performed  in  this  valley,  and  being  thus 
desecrated  and  polluted,  it  was  devoted  as  a  receptacle 
for  the  filth  of  the  city.  The  bodies  of  the  dead  denied 
the  right  of  sepulture  were  thrown  here,  and  to  prevent 
the  contamination  of  the  atmosphere,  fires  were  kept  con- 
tinually burning  to  consume  that  which  the  vultures, 
jackals  and  other  beasts  and  birds  of  prey  did  not 
devour.  The  masonic  reader  may  here  find  a  reason  for 
and  an  appropriateness  in  the  language  used  in  the  old 
covenants,  "  carried  to  the  Yalley  of  Jehoshaphat." 

The  Jews  and  Mahommedans  each  have  a  tradition 
that  the  last  Judgment  shall  take  place  in  this  valley, 
and  the  early  Christians  had  the  same  tradition,  probably 
growing  out  of  the  prophecy  of  Joel  iii.  12. 

The  Yalley  of  Jehoshaphat  is  remarkable  for  the  peculiar 
cemeteries  which  it  contains.  Like  those  which  are  found 
in  such  great  profusion  and  of  such  colossal  dimensions 
on  the  banks  of  the  Nile,  they  are  here  hewn  from  the 
solid  limestone  rock.  Near  the  bridge  which  crosses  the 
Brook  Kidron,  is  one  so  large,  that  some  travelers  have 
denominated  it  a  church.  It  is  entered  by  a  descending 


COINCIDENCES  WITH  THE  MYSTERIES.  139 

flight  of  fifty  marble  steps,  and  contains  several  shrines 
or  chapels.  The  builders  of  these  ancient  cemeteries  are 
unknown,  and  no  vestiges  remain  to  indicate  the  time  of 
their  construction.  t 

Scarce  had  our  great  progenitors  transgressed  than,' 
conscious  of  their  crime  and  filled  with  shame  and  hor- 
ror, they  endeavored  to  hide  themselves  from  the  presence 
of  that  Being  who  had  been  hitherto  their  solace  and  de- 
light ;  but,  hearing  his  awful  voice  in  the  garden  and  un- 
able to  bear  the  splendor  of  his  appearance,  in  an  humble 
and  lowly  posture  they  approached  him  with  fear  and 
trembling,  their  left  hand  elevated  as  a  shield  against 
the  radiant  glory  of  that  Presence  which  sin  had  made 
them  incapable  of  enduring. 

The  Jerusalem  Targum  records  that,  during  a  battle 
between  the  Jews  and  the  Amalekites,  Moses  ascended  a 
mount,  and  in  view  of  the  army  elevated  his  hands,  and 
while  in  that  position  the  Israelites  prevailed,  but  when 
from  weariness  his  hands  fell  the  Amalekites  prevailed. 
The  Book  of  Exodus  mentions  the  same  miracle,  and 
adds  that  Aaron  and  Hurr  supported  the  arms  of  the 
great  lawgiver  until  the  going  down  of  the  sun,  and  the 
Amalekites  were  overthrown.  Masons  trace  in  this 
miracle  authority  for  some  of  those  mysteries  peculiar  to 
the  Fellow  Craft's  degree,  and  an  additional  confirmation 
of  the  Divine  origin  of  their  order. 


HS01U 


CHAPTER  VII. 

MASTER  MASON. 

INTRODUCTORY  —  Jebus,  Jebusi,  Jerusalem  the  Ancient  Salem— Traditio'j 
of  Abraham  and  the  Jebusites  —  Traditions  of  the  Thrashing-floor  of 
Araunah  — Moses'  Prophecy  of  and  Command  to  Build  a  Place  of  Wor- 
ship—  David  conceived  the  Idea  of  Building  a  Temple  from  the  Proph- 
ecy of  Moses  —  Tradition  of  the  Vision  of  David  —  Tradition  accounting 
for 'the  Selection  of  the  Site  —  David  made  the  Selection  —  Solomon 
ascended  the  Throne  — Erection  of  the  Temple  Commenced  — Times, 
how  Named  by  the  Ancients  —  Hebrew  Years  and  Months  —  Hebrews 
not  a  Mechanical  People  — Phoenicians  — Sidon  — Tyre  — A  Commer- 
cial People  —  Friendly  Intercourse  with  the  Jews  —  Tradition  of  the 
Correspondence  between  Hiram,  King  of  Tyre,  and  Solomon  —  Diony- 
siau  Artificers  or  Dionysiac  Masons  —  Their  Legend  —  Hiram  Abif 
their  Chief —  He  unites  the  Systems  of  Operative  and  Speculative  Ma- 
sonry—Traditions of  Hiram  Abif  —Solomon  Indebted  to  him  for  Pre- 
cious Stones —  Reformed  the  Laws  of  Carthage  —  Marries  Adoniram'a 
Sister  —  His  Wife  commits  Suicide  on  his  Death  —  Three  Pillars  erected 
to  his  Memory  — Of  his  Punctuality  —  Of  his  Tressel-Board  —  Com- 
menced and  Ended  his  Labors  with  Prayer  —  Of  his  Obsequies  —  Solo- 
mon's Problem  — Hiram,  King  of  Tyre's  Letter —  Hiram  Abif  discovers 
the  Problem  —  His  Reward  —  Forty-seventh  Problem  ascribed  to  Pyth- 
agoras, really  Discovered  by  Hiram  Abif  — Stylus  —  Cabalistic  Spec- 
ulations on  the  word  Hiram  —  Tradition  of  the  Appointment  of  a  Suc- 
cessor of  Hiram  Abi£ 

THE  allegory  of  Freemasonry  is  the  building  of  the 
Temple  of  Solomon  at  Jerusalem,  its  principal  legend 
dates  at  that  epoch,  the  working  tools  there  used  furnish 
many  of  its  symbols,  and  many  of  the  masonic  ceremonies 
were  practiced  by  the  builders  of  it. 

The  land  of  Canaan  had  been  set  apart  by  God  for 
the  Children  of  Israel,  and  they  were  commanded  to 
drive  out  the  inhabitants  and  take  possession.  It  ap- 
pears that  notwithstanding  the  command,  they  for  some 

(143) 


14:4:  TRADITIONS   OF   FREEMASONRY. 

cause  made  treaties  with  several  of  the  nations  and  per- 
mitted them  to  retain  possession  of  a  portion  of  the  ter- 
ritory. Among  these  were  the  Jebusites,  who  inhabited 
the  region  about  Mount  Moriah,  and  upon  which  their 
city  of  Jebus  or  Jebusi,  afterward  called  Jerusalem,  was 
situated. 

The  history  of  Abraham  mentions  that  Melchizedek, 
king  of  Salem,  came  forth  to  meet  him  when  he  returned 
from  the  slaughter  of  the  kings  (Gen.  xiv.  18),  and  it  has 
been  generally  supposed  that  this  Salem  was  the  original 
name  of  the  city  of  Jerusalem.  It  is  more  certain,  how- 
ever, that  when  the  Children  of  Israel  entered  Canaan 
they  found  the  place  in  the  occupation  of  the  Jebusites, 
a  tribe  descended  from  Jebus,  a  son  of  Canaan,  and  the 
city  bore  the  name  of  Jebus  or  Jebusi.  It  was  also 
known  by  the  names  Solyma  and  Hierosolyma,  a  term 
denoting  security. 

The  lower  city  was  taken  and  burned  by  the  children 
of  Judali  after  the  death  of  Joshua,  but  the  Jebusites 
had  so  strongly  fortified  themselves  in  the  upper  part  of 
the  city,  on  Mount  Zion,  that  they  maintained  themselves 
in  possession  of  it  until  the  time  of  David.  That  mon- 
arch, after  his  seven  years'  rule  over  Judah  at  Hebron, 
became  king  of  all  Israel ;  besieged  Jerusalem,  which 
appears  to  have  been  retaken  by  the  Jebusites  during 
the  troubles  between  Saul  and  David ;  took  it  and  also 
the  fortress  or  upper  city  of  Mount  Zion,  and  here 
established  the  metropolis  of  his  kingdom.  The  city 
now  took  the  name  of  Jerusalem,  a  term  which  denotes 
the  abode,  or  the  people  of  peace. 

An  old  Rabbinical  tradition,  accounting  for  the  lenity 
shown  the  Jebusites  in  permitting  them  to  retain  posses- 
sion of  a  part  of  Mount  Moriah,  says  that  "  when  the 


COINCIDENCES   WITH  THE   MYSTERIES.  145 

angels  were  Abraham's  guests,  the  calf  he  sought  out 
from  the  herd  escaped  from  him  and  took  refuge  in  a  cave. 
In  following  it,  he  found  the  cave  to  be  the  sepulchre 
of  Adam  and  Eve.  Their  bodies  were  lying  on  couches, 
with  lamps  burning  before  them,  which  shed  a  rich  per- 
fume throughout  the  cave.  Abraham  was  desirous  of 
purchasing  this  cave,  but  the  Jebusites,  aware  that  the 
land  had  been  promised  to  his  posterity,  withheld  their 
consent  unless  he  would  swear  that  they  should  never  be 
dispossessed.  Abraham  took  the  required  oath,  which 
was  engraven  on  two  bronze  images  placed  in  the  for- 
tress, so  that  they  could  not  be  conquered  until  those 
images  were  removed.  Thus  the  Jebusites  said  to  David, 
1  Except  thou  take  away  the  blind  and  the  lame  thou  canst 
not  come  in  hither/  alluding  to  these  images,  which  '  have 
eyes  and  see  not  and  feet  but  walk  not.7  When  Joab 
took  possession  of  the  fortress  he  removed  the  images." 

David  appears  to  have  permitted  a  portion  of  the 
Jebusites  to  remain  in  the  country  and  to  retain  posses- 
sion of  the  land,  for  it  is  related  in  2d  Samuel  xxiv. 
18-25,  that  David,  by  the  command  of  the  Lord  through 
the  Prophet  Gad,  went  up  to  the  thrashing-floor  of 
Araunah  the  Jebusite,  and  bought  it  of  him  for  fifty 
shekels  of  silver,  and  there  erected  an  altar  and  offered 
burnt-offerings  and  peace-offerings.  The  Hebrew  tradi- 
tions say  that  this  was  the  identical  spot  where  Abraham 
built  the  altar  on  which  to  offer  up  his  son  Isaac.  The 
Cabalists  say  that  this  was  the  spot  where  Abel  was 
sacrificed  and  where  Adam  was  born. 

Moses  had  promised  the  Israelites  :  "  When  ye  go  over 

Jordan,  and  dwell  in  the  land  which  the  Lord  your  God 

giveth  you  to  inherit,  and  when  he  giveth  you  rest  from 

all  your  enemies  round  about,  so  that  ye  dwell  in  safety, 

7 


146  TRADITIONS  OP  FREEMASONRY. 

then  there  shall  be  a  place  which  the  Lord  your  God 
shall  choose  to  cause  his  name  to  dwell  there :  thither 

shall  ye  bring  all  that  I  command  you Take  heed 

to  thyself,  that  thou  offer  not  thy  burnt-offerings  in  every 
place  that  thou  seest :  but  in  the  place  which  the  Lord 
shall  choose  in  one  of  thy  tribes,  there  thou  shalt  offer 
thy  burnt-offerings,  and  there  thou  shalt  do  all  that  I 
command  thee."  (Deut.  xii.  11-14.) 

What  place  God  was  afterward  to  choose  as  the  seat 
of  his  worship,  and  to  which  offerings  were  to  be  brought, 
Moses  nowhere  signified,  nor  so  much  as  hinted,  but  left 
it  entirely  to  a  future  period  to  ascertain.  And,  before 
the  time  of  David,  perhaps  no  reader  of  his  laws  ever 
thought  of  Jerusalem  ;  although  in  the  Mosaic  history  it 
appears  highly  distinguished  as  the  place  where  the  true 
God  had  a  priest,  to  whom  the  Patriarch  Abraham  pres- 
ented a  tenth  part  of  his  spoils. 

The  prophecy  of  Moses  inspired  David  with  the  idea 
of  erecting  a  temple  for  the  worship  of  God.  Successful 
in  all  his  wars  and  reposing  in  his  house  of  cedar,  he 
thought  it  unsuitable  and  derogatory  to  the  divine  honor 
for  the  Ark  of  God  to  rest  in  a  tent.  It  is  very  prob- 
able that  another  idea  strengthened  this  desire  in  the 
mind  of  the  king.  He  might  naturally  have  thought  the 
light  and  temporary  structure  of  the  tabernacle  suitable 
to  the  circumstances  of  the  people  while  in  the  wilder- 
ness ;  but  that  now,  when  they  had  acquired  a  permanent 
location,  and  had  obtained  wealth  and  power,  so  that 
substantial  and  ornate  dwellings  were  rising  up  on  every 
side,  the  former  residence  of  the  seat  and  centre  of  their 
holy  religion  was  altogether  unsuitable  to  their  altered 
condition.  But  the  word  of  the  Lord  came  unto  David, 
through  the  Prophet  Nathan,  denying  to  him  the  privi- 


COINCIDENCES   WITH  THE   MYSTERIES.  147 

lege  of  building  a  house  unto  the  name  of  the  Lord,  be- 
cause he  had  shed  blood  abundantly  and  had  made  great 
wars,  but  promising  David  that  a  son  should  be  born 
unto  him  who  should  have  rest  from  all  his  enemies  and 
who  should  build  the  house.  David  makes  no  mention 
of  having  selected  a  site  for  the  erection  of  the  temple. 
Tradition  says  that  Jehovah  appeared  to  David  in  a 
vision,  and  commanded  that  the  temple  should  be  erected 
on  the  thrashing-floor  that  he  had  purchased  of  Araunah 
the  Jebusite — a  spot  hallowed  by  so  many  sacred  occur- 
rences, and  which  had  been  more  recently  rendered 
memorable  for  the  appearance  of  the  angel  of  ihe  Lord 
by  whose  command  the  plague  was  stayed,  which  was 
desolating  Israel  in  consequence  of  David's  sin  in  num- 
bering the  people.  In  this  vision  David  was  favored 
with  a  revelation  of  the  plan  and  details  of  this  superb 
work,  that  he  might  behold  in  imagination  the  riches 
and  glory  of  a  fabric  which  should  excel  every  architec- 
tural attempt  that  the  world  had  hitherto  beheld. 

The  following  Oriental  tradition  assigns  another  rea- 
son for  the  selection  of  the  site.  It  is  quoted  here 
merely  as  a  matter  of  curiosity. 

The  site  occupied  by  the  Temple  of  Solomon  was  for- 
merly a  cultivated  field,  possessed  in  common  by  two 
brothers.  One  of  them  was  married  and  had  several 
children,  the  other  was  unmarried  ;  they  lived  together, 
however,  cultivating  in  the  greatest  harmony  possible 
the  property  they  had  inherited  from  their  father. 

The  harvest  season  had  arrived ;  the  two  brothers 
bound  up  their  sheaves,  made  two  equal  stacks  of  them, 
and  left  them  on  the  field.  During  the  night  the  one 
who  was  unmarried  was  struck  with  an  excellent  thought  : 
"  My  brother,"  said  he  to  himself,  "  has  a  wife  and  children 


148  TRADITIONS   OP   FREEMASONRY. 

to  support ;  it  is  not  just  that  my  share  should  be  as  large 
as  his."  Upon  this  he  arose  and  took  from  his  stack 
several  sheaves,  which  he  added  to  those  of  his  brother  ; 
and  this  he  did  with  as  much  secrecy  as  if  he  had  been 
committing  an  evil  action,  in  order  that  his  brotherly  ac- 
tion might  not  be  refused. 

On  the  same  night  the  other  brother  awoke  and  said 
to  his  wife:  "My  brother  lives  alone,  without  a  com- 
panion ;  he  has  no  one  to  assist  him  in  his  labors,  nor  to 
reward  him  for  his  toils,  while  God  has  bestowed  on  me  a 
wife  and  children ;  it  is  not  right  that  we  should  take 
from  our  field  as  much  as  he,  since  we  have  already  more 
than  he  has — domestic  happiness.  If  you  consent,  we  shall, 
by  adding  secretly  a  certain  number  of  our  sheaves  to  his 
stack,  by  way  of  compensation  and  without  his  knowl- 
edge, see  his  portion  of  the  harvest  increasing."  The 
project  was  approved  and  immediately  put  into  execution. 
In  the  morning  each  of  the  brothers  went  to  the  field, 
and  were  much  surprised  at  seeing  the  stacks  equal. 

During  several  successive  nights  the  same  contrivance 
was  repeated  on  each  side  ;  for,  as  each  kept  adding  to 
his  brothers'  store,  the  stacks  always  remained  the  same. 
But  one  night  both  having  stood  sentinel  to  dive  into  the 
cause  of  this  miracle,  they  met,  each  bearing  sheaves  mu- 
tually destined  for  the  other  ;  it  was  thus  all  elucidated, 
and  they  rushed  into  each  others  arms,  each  grateful  to 
heaven  for  having  so  good  a  brother.  ISTow,  says  the 
legend,  the  place  where  so  good  an  idea  had  simultane- 
ously occurred  to  the  two  brothers,  and  with  so  much 
pertinacity,  must  have  been  acceptable  to  God  ;  men 
blessed  it,  and  Solomon  chose  there  to  erect  the  house  of 
the  Lord.  Such  is  an  Eastern  legend  as  to  the  selection 
of  the  site  for  the  erection  of  the  temple. 


COINCIDENCES   WITH   THE   MYSTERIES.  149 

That  David  was  extremely  anxious  to  ascertain  the 
particular  spot  of  ground  prophesied  of  by  Moses  upon 
which  the  temple  was  to  be  built,  is  evident  from  the  lan- 
guage used  in  Psalms  cxxxii.  1-5.  It  is  supposed  that 
in  the  sixth  verse  of  the  same  psalm  where  he  says  :  "  Lo, 
we  heard  of  it  at  Ephratah  ;  we  found  it  in  the  fields  of 
the  wood,"  that  David  alluded  to  Mount  Moriah  in 
the  figurative  expression  "  fields  of  the  wood,"  as  the 
site  determined  upon  by  God  for  the  erection  of  the 
building.  Be  that  as  it  may,  we  find  that  immediately 
upon  the  acceptance  of  the  sacrifice  offered  upon  the  al- 
tar erected  on  the  field  purchased  of  Araunah,  or  Oman, 
the  same  field  where  the  ark  was  found  after  its  return  by 
the  Philistines,  he  exclaimed,  "  This  is  the  house  of  the 
Lord  God,"  and  commanded  that  the  strangers  that  were 
in  the  land  of  Israel  should  be  gathered  together  and  set 
to  work  making  preparations  for  the  building. 

Solomon  ascended  .the  throne  of  Israel  when  nineteen 
years  of  age,  B.  c.  1020.  The  first  three  years  of  his 
reign  were  devoted  to  a  continuation  of  the  preparation 
of  materials  for  the  building  commenced  by  his  father 
David.  The  foundation  was  begun  on  Monday,  the  se- 
cond day  of  the  month  Zif,  which  answers  to  the  twenty- 
first  of  our  April,  being  the  second  month  of  the  sacred 
year,  and  was  carried  on  with  such  speed  that  it  was 
finished  in  all  its  parts  in  a  little  more  than  seven  years, 
which  happened  on  the  eighth  clay  of  the  month  Bui, 
which  answers  to  the  twenty-third  of  our  October,  being 
the  eight  month  of  the  sacred  year,  six  hundred  years 
after  the  Exodus,  and  B.  c.  1009,  according  to  tlieSeptua- 
gint  chronology. 

It  was  an  early  custom  to  name  times,  such  as  months, 
from  observation  of  nature,  and  the  custom  is  still  in  use 


150  TRADITIONS   OF   FREEMASONRY. 

among  unlettered  nations.  Thus  the  Indian  tribes  give 
the  name  worm-month  to  our  March,  because  then  the 
reptiles  begin  to  show  themselves.  April  they  call  plant- 
moon,  and  May,  swallow-moon,  etc.  Perhaps  the  same 
idea  gave  names  to  the  signs  of  the  zodiac,  which  cer- 
tainly are  very  ancient.  The  ancient  Hebrews  had  no 
particular  names  for  their  months ;  they  said  the  first, 
the  second,  the  third,  etc. 

Nothing  is  more  equivocal  among  the  ancients  than  the 
term  year.  The  year  always  has  been  and  still  is  a 
source  of  dispute  among  the  learned,  as  to  its  duration, 
its  beginning  and  its  end.  Some  think  that  from  the 
beginning  of  the  world,  to  the  one  hundred  and  sixtieth 
year  of  Enoch,  mankind  reckoned  only  by  weeks,  and 
that  the  Angel  Uriel  revealed  to  Enoch  the  use  of  months, 
years,  the  revolutions  of  the  stars  and  the  returns  of  the 
seasons.  Some  nations  made  their  year  to  consist  of  one 
month,  others  of  four,  others  of  six,  others  of  ten,  others 
of  twelve.  Some  have  made  one  year  of  winter,  another 
of  summer.  The  beginning  of  the  year  was  fixed  some- 
times at  autumn,  sometimes  at  spring,  sometimes  at  mid- 
winter. Some  used  lunar  months,  others  solar. 

Maimonides  tells  us  that  the  years  of  the  Hebrews 
were  solar,  and  their  months  lunar.  With  them  the 
equinox  was  a  fixed  point  in  their  calculations  of  time. 
The  two  equinoxes  began  each  a  different  year.  The 
new  moon  which  followed  the  autumnal  equinox,  after 
the  fruits  were  gathered  in,  began  the  civil  year ;  the 
common  opinion  of  which  is  that  the  world  was  created 
in  this  season,  and  this  was  formerly  the  first  month  in 
the  Jewish  year.  But  after  the  Jews  came  out  of 
Egypt  Moses  retained  the  order  of  the  Egyptian  year, 
and,  to  preserve  the  memory  of  their  deliverance,  com« 


COINCIDENCES  WITH  THE  MYSTERIES.  151 

mended  that  the  month  in  which  that  deliverance  was 
wrought  (which  was  the  time  when  the  earth  opens  her 
bosom  and  all  things  begin  to  bud)  should  have  the  first 
rank,  and  by  this  means  the  vernal  equinox  began  a  second 
year,  which  was  called  the  sacred  or  ecclesiastical  year. 

We  find  in  the  Sacred  Scriptures  frequent  mention 
made  of  the  month  Abib  ;  the  word  Abib  signifies  green 
ears  of  corn,  or  fresh  fruits.  This  month  was  afterward 
called  Nisan. 

The  months  Zif  and  Bui  are  each  mentioned  but  once 
in  the  Scriptures,  and  then  as  relating  the  dates  of  the 
commencement  and  completion  of  Solomon's  Temple.  Zif 
was  afterward  called  Jiar  or  Ajar,  and  Bui,  Marchesvan. 

As  a  matter  of  interest  we  insert  the  months  of  both 
the  sacred  and  civil  year  of  the  Hebrews,  showing  their 
relation  to  each  other  and  to  the  English  system. 

Civil.     Sacred. 

7  1 

8  2 

9  3 

10  4 

11  5 

12  6 

1  7 

2  8    "niBrnto  Marchesvan  (Bui),  October. 

3  9      l5uD       Casleu,  November. 

4  10       frifi      Thebet,  December. 

5  11      frlitD      Shebat,  January. 

6  12       -n&       Adar,  February. 
The  Children  of  Israel,  then  as  now,  were  more  of  an 

agricultural  and  commercial  than  mechanical  people. 
In  the  reign  of  Saul  there  were  none  among  them  capable 
of  forging  iron,  and  they  were  obliged  to  depend  upon 


Answering  to 

1013 

Nisan  (Abib),         March. 

"PJS 

Ajar  (Zif),              April. 

ITO 

ran 

Sivan,                      May. 
Thammuz,              June. 

i& 

Ab,                         July. 

bib& 

Elul,                       August. 

m»n 

Tisri  (Ethanim),     September. 

152  TRADITIONS   OF   FREEMASONRY. 

the  Philistines  for  their  swords,  spears,  and  other  imple- 
ments of  war,  and  even  for  the  repairing  of  their  agricul- 
tural tools  and  implements. 

Consequently,  Solomon  was  obliged  to  seek  assistance 
from  the  neighboring  nations  and  of  the  strangers  in  the 
land  to  erect  the  temple. 

The  Phoenicians,  inhabitants  of  Tyre  and  Sidon,  within 
the  territory  assigned  to  Asher,  but  who  were  never  able 
to  get  possession,  were  the  most  public-spirited  race  of 
the  ancient  world  ;  they  excelled  in  mercantile  pursuits, 
and  in  the  sciences  of  geography,  astronomy  and  archi- 
tecture. This  knowledge  was  in  a  manner  forced  upon 
them  by  the  peculiarities  of  the  country  which  they  had 
colonized.  Inhabiting  a  barren  and  ungrateful  soil,  they 
were  obliged  by  unwearied  industry  to  correct  the  defi- 
ciencies of  nature,  and  by  extensive  commercial  enter- 
prises to  make  the  abundant  wealth  of  more  distant 
nations  and  fertile  regions^their  own. 

Sidon,  the  oldest  and  most  powerful  city  of  Phoenicia, 
five  geographical  miles  north  of  Tyre,  on  the  sea 
coast,  is  supposed  to  have  been  founded  by  Sidon,  the 
eldest  son  of  Canaan,  which  will  carry  up  its  origin  to 
about  B.  c.  2700.  The  inhabitants  of  Sidon  appear  to 
have  early  acquired  a  preeminence  in  arts,  manufactures 
and  commerce.  They  are  said  to  have  been  the  first 
manufacturers  of  glass,  and  particularly  skillful  in  hew- 
ing timber  and  preparing  it  for  building  purposes. 

Tyre,  first  the  colony,  then  the  rival,  and  finally  the 
conqueror  of  Sidon,  was  built  on  the  Mediterranean,  about 
ninety-three  miles  north  and  east  of  Jerusalem.  Joshua 
speaks  of  it  as  the  "  strong  city  of  Tyre/'  Josephus 
says  :  "  Tyre  was  built  not  above  two  hundred  and  forty 
years  before  the  Temple  of  Solomon,"  which  would  be  two 


COINCIDENCES  WITH  THE   MYSTERIES.  153 

hundred  years  after  Joshua.  There  were  two  cities  of 
Tyre,  one  known  to  the  ancients  by  the  name  of  Paloe' 
Tyrus  ;  the  other  a  later  city,  called  only  Tzor  or  Tyre. 
The  first  was  built  on  the  continent  where  stood  the  Temple 
of  Hercules.  The  other  Tyre  stood  on  an  island  opposite 
to  the  former,  from  which  it  was  divided  but  by  a  narrow 
slip  of  the  sea,  Pliny  says  not  above  seven  hundred  paces. 

The  inhabitants  of  Tyre,  more  enterprising  even  than 
those  of  Sidon,  pushed  their  commercial  dealings  to  the 
extremities  of  the  known  world,  and  raised  their  city  to 
a  rank  in  power  and  opulence  before  unknown.  They 
are  said  to  have  discovered  the  British  Isles,  and  to  have 
traded  there  for  tin  lead,  and  skins,  for  which  fact  we 
have  the  authority  of  Strabo,  Pliny,  Herodotus,  etc.  Of 
this  latter  traffic  they  were  very  jealous,  and  endeavored 
to  prevent  other  nations  from  obtaining  any  knowledge 
of  the  situation  of  the  country  from  which  they  obtained 
their  tin  and  lead.  It  is  related  by  an  ancient  historian 
that  the  Romans,  being  desirous  of  finding  out  this  source 
of  their  wealth,  deputed  a  ship,  with  strict  orders  to 
trace  the  Tyrian  vessels  to  their  destination.  A  captain 
of  one  of  these  vessels  observing  this  policy,  ran  his  ves- 
sel boldly  upon  a  reef  of  rocks  and  wrecked  it.  But 
having  prepared  for  this  event,  his  crew  were  saved. 
Not  so  the  Romans.  Their  ship  being  close  in  the  wake 
also  struck  ;  but  the  master  not  being  aware  of  such  an 
occurrence  was  unable  to  save  it  and  perished,  with  all 
his  crew. 

The  country  occupied  by  the  Phoenicians,  including  the 
cities  of  Tyre  and  Sidon,  was  but  one  hundred  miles  in 
its  greatest  length,  and  from  five  to  twenty  in  breadth. 
The  coast  abounded  in  bays  and  harbors,  and  its  breadth 
was  traversed  by  mountains  branching  from  Libanus, 


TRADITIONS   OF   FREEMASOXRY. 

several  of  which  advanced  their  promontories  into  the 
sea.  The  summits  of  these  mountains  were  covered  with 
forests,  which  afforded  to  the  Phoenicians  the  most  valuable 
timber  for  the  construction  of  their  ships  and  habitations. 
This  explains  how  it  happened  that  the  first  time  this  peo- 
ple is  personally  spoken  of  in  the  Bible,  is  in  the  character 
of  persons  skilled  in  the  hewing  and  transport  of  wood. 

There  appears  to  have  been  a  friendly  intercourse 
maintained  between  the  Jews  and  Phoenicians  from  the 
first.  The  Jews  taking  a  fancy  to  the  Phoenician  mys- 
teries, sent  their  traditions,  laws  and  ceremonials,  and  the 
Phoenicians  in  exchange  sent  their  mysterious  doctrines 
and  ceremonies,  and  thus  each  became  fully  conversant 
with  the  religious  dogmas  of  the  other. 

Hiram,  King  of  Tyre,  had  been  the  friend  and  ally  of 
David.  It  wasvery  natural  then  that  Solomon  should,  in  his 
emergency,  seek  assistance  from  the  Tyrians  in  the  prose- 
cution of  his  enterprise  ;  not  only  from  the  friendly  rela- 
tions existing,  but  because  of  their  contiguity,  and  their 
preeminent  ability  to  furnish  mechanics  and  all  the  ma- 
terials required  in  which  the  Israelites  were  deficient. 

Tradition  says  that  on  its  becoming  known  to  Hiram, 
King  of  Tyre,  that  Solomon  had  ascended  the  throne  of 
Israel,  and  that  it  was  in  contemplation  to  erect  a  mag- 
nificent building  for  the  worship  of  the  name  of  God,  and 
desiring  to  have  his  own  name  associated  with  its  erec- 
tion, wrote  a  letter  to  Solomon  congratulating  him  upon 
his  accession  to  the  throne  at  a  time  when  there  was 
peace  throughout  his  dominions,  and  offering  him  every 
assistance  in  his  power  in  carrying  out  his  intentions  in 
the  building. 

Availing  himself  of  ttiis  happy  circumstance,  Solomon 
sent  the  following  letter  to  Hiram,  King  of  Tyre  : 


COINCIDENCES  WITH  THE  MYSTERIES.  155 

"  Know  thou  that  my  father  would  have  built  a  temple 
to  GOD,  but  was  hindered  by  wars  and  continual  expedi- 
tions, for  he  did  not  leave  off  to  overthrow  his  enemies 
till  he  made  them  all  subject  to  tribute  ;  but  I  give 
thanks  to  GOD  for  the  peace  I  at  present  enjoy,  and  on 
that  account  I  am  at  leisure,  and  design  to  build  an  house 
for  GOD,  who  foretold  to  my  father  that  such  an  house 
should  be  built  by  me.  Wherefore  I  desire  thee  to  send 
some  of  thy  subjects  with  mine  to  Mount  Lebanon  to  cut 
down  timber,  for  the  Sidonians  are  more  skillful  than  our 
people  in  cutting  of  wood.  As  for  wages  to  the  hewers 
of  wood,  I  will  pay  whatsoever  price  thou  shalt  deter- 
mine." 

The  good  King  Hiram  was  pleased  with  this  letter, 
and  returned  the  following  answer  to  Solomon  : 

"  It  is  fit  to  bless  GOD  that  he  hath  committed  thy  fa- 
ther's government  to  thee,  who  art  a  wise  man  and  en- 
dued with  all  virtues.  As  for  myself,  I  rejoice  at  the 
condition  thou  art  in,  and  I  will  be  subservient  to  thee 
in  all  that  thou  sendest  to  me  about,  for  when  by  my  sub- 
jects I  have  cut  down  many  and  large  trees  of  cedar  and 
cypress  wood  I  will  send  them  to  sea,  and  will  order  my 
subjects  to  make  floats  of  them  and  to  sail  to  what  place 
soever  of  thy  country  that  thou  shalt  desire,  and  leave 
them  there,  after  which  thy  subjects  may  carry  them  to 
Jerusalem.  But  do  thou  take  care  to  procure  us  corn 
for  this  timber,  which  we  stand  in  need  of,  because  we 
inhabit  in  an  island." 

The  two  kings  renewed  the  alliance  which  had  sub- 
sisted between  Hiram  and  David,  and  became  intimately 
attached  to  each  other  by  friendship  and  personal  esteem. 
Josephus,  alluding  to  this  letter,  says :  "  So  great  was 
the  friendship  and  regard  that  Hiram  king  of  Tyre  had 


156  TRADITIONS  OF  FREEMASONRY. 

for  David,  that  on  account  of  the  father  he  had  the 
greater  esteem  for  this  son  Solomon  ;  and  as  a  proof  of 
his  affection  he  presented  him  with  one  hundred  and 
twenty  talents  of  gold  toward  the  expense  of  adorning 
the  building,  and  supplied  him  with  the  finest  wood  from 
Mount  Lebanon  for  the  wainscot  and  roof.  Solomon 
showed  his  gratitude  by  making  sumptuous  presents  in 
return.  It  is  also  said  that  Solomon  and  Hiram  sent 
difficult  questions  to  each  other  to  be  solved,  on  the  con- 
dition that  a  penalty  should  be  incurred  by  him  that 
failed  ;  which  happening  to  be  the  case  with  Hiram,  he 
paid  the  forfeiture.  But  afterward  Abdemonus,  a  Ty- 
rian,  explained  the  intricate  question,  and  proposed  others 
for  Solomon  to  interpret,  on  the  condition  of  paying  a 
certain  sum  to  Hiram  on  his  failure."  This  Abdemonus 
was  another  name  of  Hiram  Abif,  according  to  Dius  and 
Menander. 

The  Dionysian  artificers,  or,  according  to  Archdeacon 
Mant,  Dionysiac  Masons,  were  a  body  of  architects  and 
engineers  who  were  employed  in  the  erection  of  temples, 
theatres  and  stadia  after  the  Ionic  emigration,  which 
took  place  about  B.  c.  1300,  when  the  Greeks  had  made 
very  considerable  progress  in  the  arts  and  sciences. 
These,  together  with  their  sacred  mysteries,  the  emi- 
grants carried  with  them  into  Asia,  where  after  some 
years  the  arts  flourished  with  a  prosperity  unequaled, 
and  an  elegance  of  conception  and  execution  that  far  sur- 
passed the  productions  of  the  mother  country.  They  had 
received  within  the  jurisdiction  of  the  lonians  the  exclu 
sive  right  of  erecting  temples,  theatres  and  other  public 
buildings.  They  became  very  numerous  in  Asia  Minor, 
Syria,  Persia  and  India.  They  were  noted  not  only  for 
their  skill  in  architecture,  but  for  their  system  of  govern- 


COINCIDENCES  WITH  THE  MYSTERIES.  157 

merit.  They  were  divided  into  communities  or  lodges, 
under  command  of  Masters  and  other  officers,  and  in  their 
ceremonies  used  emblematical  jewels  very  similar  to 
those  used  by  the  Masons  of  the  present  age  ;  and  like 
the  Masons,  too,  they  'had  a  universal  language,  and  con- 
ventional modes  of  recognition,  by  which  one  brother 
might  know  another  in  the  dark  as  well  as  the  light,  and 
which  served  to  unite  the  whole  body  wheresoever  they 
might  be  dispersed,  into  one  common  brotherhood.  We 
find  this  society  or  fraternity  in  Egypt  a  long  time  an- 
terior to  their  settlement  in  Ionia. 

The  hero  or  principal  personage  of  their  mysteries  was 
Bacchus,  or,  as  he  was  called  by  the  Greeks,  Dionysius, 
and  from  this  latter  they  took  their  name  of  "  Dionysiacs" 
and  from  their  practice  of  an  operative  art  and  traveling 
in  search  of  employment,  artificers  and  fraternity,  and 
thus,  "  Fraternity  of  Dionysian  Artificers."  Their  legend 
recounted  the  murder  of  Bacchus  or  Dionysius  by  the 
Titans,  the  search  of  Rhea  for  the  remains  and  the  find- 
ing of  the  body  The  candidate  representing  Bacchus 
was  at  the  end  of  the  ceremony  invested  with  the  esoteric 
doctrine  of  the  mysteries — the  belief  in  the  existence  of 
one  God,  the  immortality  of  the  soul  and  a  future  state 
of  rewards  and  punishment. 

There  was  at  Tyre  a  colony  of  these  Dionysian  arti- 
ficers, who  had  been  engaged  for  a  number  of  years  in 
the  erection  of  the  Temples  of  Hercules  and  Astarte  and 
a  causeway  or  mole  which  united  the  two  cities  of  Tyre. 
These  works  being  finished,  Hiram  king  of  Tyre  sent 
them  to  Jerusalem,  and  by  them  was  the  temple  built. 
In  this  company  was  one  designated  as  Hiram  the 
Builder.  Among  the  many  traditions  of  him  is  the  fol- 
lowing :  "  King  Hiram,  to  show  his  zeal  and  manifest  his 


158  TRADITIONS  OF  FREEMASONRY. 

ardent  wishes  of  contributing'  all  in  his  power  toward  an 
object  of  such  exalted  magnitude  as  the  erection  of  an  house 
to  be  dedicated  to  the  worship  of  the  living  and  only  true 
GOD,  sent  to  King  Solomon  Hiram  Abi,  who  was  the  son 
of  a  widow  of  the  tribe  of  Naphtali,  a  man  peculiarly  en- 
dowed with  wisdom  and  surprisingly  skillful  in  the 
knowledge  of  the  arts  and  sciences  and  in  all  the 
branches  of  mechanics.  He  was  pious,  virtuous  and  be- 
nevolent to  all  mankind.  He  was  beloved  and  revered 
for  the  many  excellent  qualities  which  he  possessed,  and 
which  gained  him  the  esteem  and  confidence  of  his  mon- 
arch. His  counsel  on  the  most  momentous  occasions 
was  highly  appreciated ;  such  was  the  general  good 
opinion  of  him  that  he  was  surnamed  Abi  or  Abif,  from 
the  word  Ab,  father.  He  was  much  attached  to  sculp- 
ture and  to  those  who  possessed  talents  in  that  art.  On 
his  arrival  at  Jerusalem,  King  Solomon  was  so  much 
pleased  with  his  understanding  that  he  immediately 
committed  the  superintendence  of  all  the  works  to  his 
care." 

This  man  of  Tyre,  this  Hiram  Abif,  a  man  whom  the 
Scriptures  and  tradition  unite  in  representing  as  a  supe- 
rior workman  in  stone,  iron,  brass,  silver,  gold  and  tim- 
ber ;  in  purple,  blue,  crimson  and  in  fine  linen ;  and  also  to 
grave  any  manner  of  graving,  "  and  to  find  out  any  de- 
vice which  shall  be  put  to  him,"  must  have  been  initiated 
in  the  secret  mysteries  of  the  Dionysian  artificers,  nor 
could  he  have  been  a  very  humble  or  unconspicuous 
member.  From  his  rank  in  society,  the  amount  of  talent 
he  is  said  to  have  possessed,  and  the  elevated  position  he 
held  in  the  affections  and  at  the  court  of  the  King  of 
Tyre,  he  must  have  been  the  chief  or  master  of  all  those 
sent  to  Solomon,  and  from  the  prominent  position  he 


COINCIDENCES  WITH  THE  MYSTERIES.  159 

occupied  and  the  ingenuity  and  skill  displayed  in  erect- 
ing and  beautifying  the  temple,  Freemasons  are  justified 
in  assigning  to  him  the  position  of  one  of  the  three  Grand 
Masters. 

Observation  and  long  experience  had  convinced  Hiram 
Abif  of  the  great  advantages  of  the  system  of  govern- 
ment and  discipline  which  the  Dionysians  practiced  in 
the  erection  of  the  many  edifices  in  which  they  were 
engaged,  not  only  in  expediting  the  work,  but  in  securing 
and  maintaining  peace  and  harmony  among  the  workmen. 
Such  or  similar  discipline  and  government  he  would  natu- 
rally be  inclined  to  introduce  among  the  Israelitish  work- 
men, and  thus  form  the  whole  body  under  one  common 
standard  of  work,  uniting  the  true  speculative  Masonry  of 
the  Hebrews  with  the  operative  of  the  Dionysian  artificers. 

Very  much  of  the  masonic  legendary  lore  is  esoteric  • 
consequently  it  may  not  be  possible  to  present  to  the 
general  reader  sufficient  evidences  to  convince  the  mind 
of  the  truth  of  the  positions  assumed.  And  yet  without 
divulging  any  of  the  "  apporeta — the  things  forbidden  to 
be  committed  to  writing,"  the  elucidations  may  be  suffi- 
cient to  satisfy  the  candid  mind  that  the  union  alluded 
to  was  not  so  improbable,  mythical  or  difficult  of  accom- 
plishment as  it  might  be  conceived  to  be  from  the  re- 
ceived notions  of  the  religious  opinions  of  that  portion 
of  the  ancient  people  denominated  heathen  nations. 

The  legend  and  traditions  of  "  Hiram  Abif  (for  such 
is  the  rendering  of  the  Hebrew  text  in  Luther's  Bible) 
form  the  consummation  of  the  connecting  links  between 
Freemasonry  and  the  Ancient  Mysteries,  and  sustains  be- 
yond peradventure  the  theory  that  Freemasonry  dates 
anterior  to  the  Deluge  and  the  strong  probability  of  its 
divine  origin. 


160  TRADITIONS  OF  FREEMASONRY. 

As  any  thing  relating  to  Hiram  Abif  must  be  of  in- 
terest to  Masons,  we  will  notice  a  few  of  the  numerous 
traditions  which  have  come  down  to  us  by  oral  communi- 
cation from  the  ancient  Masons. 

"  About  four  years  before  the  building  of  the  temple, 
Hiram  Abif,  as  the  agent  of  the  King  of  Tyre,  purchased 
some  curious  stones  of  an  Arabian  merchant,  who  told 
him,  upon  inquiry,  that  they  had  been  found  by  accident 
on  an  island  in  the  Red  Sea.  Hiram  king  of  Tyre  de- 
puted his  agent  to  investigate  the  truth  of  the  report, 
and  he  had  the  good  fortune  to  discover  many  precious 
stones,  and  among  the  rest  an  abundance  of  that  valu- 
able stone  called  the  topaz,  with  which  the  King  of  Tyre 
richly  adorned  his  palaces  and  temples.  These  precious 
stones  were  subsequently  imported  by  the  ships  of  Tyre 
for  the  service  of  King  Solomon  ;  and  thus  it  was  to  the 
foresight  and  prudence  of  Hiram  Abif  that  King  Solo- 
mon was  indebted  for  the  abundance  of  jewels  with 
which  the  temple  was  decorated." 

Another  tradition  says  that  he  reformed  the  laws  of 
Carthage,  and  was  instrumental  in  procuring  the  abolish- 
ment of  the  practice  of  offering  human  sacrifices. 

Another  says  that  he  demanded  of  King  Solomon  the 
hand  of  Adoniram's  sister  in  marriage.  His  request  was 
granted,  and  honored  by  the  two  kings  with  a  public 
celebration. 

Of  his  consort  it  is  related  that  she  was  so  sincerely 
attached  to  him  that  at  his  death  she  became  inconsol- 
able, and,  refusing  to  be  comforted,  she  spent  the  greater 
part  of  her  time  in  lamentation  and  mourning  at  his 
sepulchre.  And  one  evening,  as  she  was  returning  from 
the  performance  of  her  melancholy  duty  along  the  terrace 
to  the  royal  palace,  where  probably  she  had  apartments, 


COINCIDENCES  WITH   THE   MYSTERIES.  161 

overcome  by  the  intensity  of  her  feelings,  she  precipitated 
herself  over  the  wall  into  the  Yalley  of  Jehoshaphat  and 
perished  in  the  dreadful  abyss. 

Another  tradition  says  that,  "  to  perpetuate  the  cir- 
cumstances attending  the  death  of  Hiram  Abif,  the 
Israelitish  and  Tyrian  nionarchs  erected  three  brazen 
pillars,  one  at  Jerusalem,  another  at  Joppa,  and  a  third 
at  Tyre  ;  the  former  of  which  was  carried  in  triumph  to 
Rome  by  Titus  after  the  final  destruction  of  Herod's 
Temple,  and  the  latter  shared  in  the  demolition  of  Tyre 
by  Alexander  the  Great." 

Still  another  relates  "  that  it  was  his  custom  never  to 
put  off  until  to-morrow  the  work  that  might  have  been 
accomplished  to-day  ;  for  he  was  as  remarkable  for  his 
punctuality  in  the  discharge  of  his  most  trifling  duties  as 
he  was  for  his  skill  in  performing  the  most  important. 
Hence  it  was  his  constant  habit  to  furnish  the  craftsmen 
every  afternoon  with  a  copy  of  the  plans  which  he  had 
designed  for  their  labor  while  they  were  at  refreshment. 
As  new  designs  were  thus  furnished  by  him  from  day  to 
day,  any  neglect  to  provide  the  workmen  with  them  on 
each  successive  day  would  necessarily  have  stopped  the 
labors  of  the  whole  body  of  the  workmen,  a  circumstance 
that  in  so  large  a  number  must  have  produced  the  great- 
est disorder  and  confusion.  Hence  the  practice  of  punc- 
tuality was  in  him  a  duty  of  the  highest  obligation  and 
one  which  could  never  for  a  moment  have  been  neglected 
without  leading  to  immediate  observation." 

Another  relates  to  his  trestle-board,  which  describes 
it  "  as  made  of  costly  wood  and  in  shape  an  oblong 
square.  A  very  thin  coating  of  wax  was  spread  over 
the  polished  surface  of  the  wood.  On  this  the  letters  or 
figures  were  cut  by  an  instrument  of  steel  called  a  stylus, 


162  TRADITIONS  OF  FREEMASONRY. 

which  was  of  the  form  and  size  of  a  pencil,  one  end  being 
sharpened  to  a  point  for  scratching  the  characters  upon 
the  wax  and  the  other  flattened  and  circular,  so  as  to 
be  used  in  rendering  the  surface  of  wax  smooth  again, 
and  so  to  obliterate  what  had  been  written  and  thus 
render  the  tablet  capable  of  being  used  a  second  time. 
Such  were  the  instruments  used  by  Hiram  the  Builder 
in  drawing  his  designs  for  the  construction  of  the  temple." 
Another  tradition  says  :  "  It  was  the  duty  of  Hiram 
Abif  to  superintend  the  workmen,  and  the  reports  of  his 
officers  were  always  examined  with  the  most  scrupulous 
exactness.  At  the  opening  of  the  day  when  the  sun  was 
rising  in  the  east,  it  was  his  constant  custom  before  the 
commencement  of  labor  to  go  into  the  temple  and  offer 
up  his  prayers  to  Jehovah  for  a  blessing  on  the  work. 
And  in  like  manner,  when  the  sun  was  setting  in  the 
west,  and  after  the  labors  of  the  day  were  closed  and 
the  workmen  had  left  the  temple,  he  returned  his  thanks 
to  the  Great  Architect  of  the  Universe  for  the  harmo- 
nious protection  of  the  day.  Not  content  with  this  devout 
expression  of  his  feelings,  he  always  went  into  the  tem- 
ple at  the  hour  of  high  twelve,  when  the  men  were  called 
off  from  labor  to  refreshment,  to  inspect  the  work,  to  draw 
fresh  designs  upon  the  trestle-board  and  see  if  any  im- 
provement could  be  made  either  for  ornament  or  utility, 
and  to  perform  other  scientific  labors,  never  forgetting  to 
consecrate  the  duties  by  solemn  prayer.  These  religious 
customs  were  faithfully  performed  for  the  first  six  years 
in  the  secret  recesses  of  his  lodge,  and  for  the  last  year 
in  the  precincts  of  the  Most  Holy  Place.  At  length,  on 
the  very  day  appointed  for  celebrating  the  cope-stone  of 
the  building,  he  retired  as  usual,  according  to  our  tradi- 
tions, at  the  hour  of  high  twelve,  and  did  not  return  alive." 


COINCIDENCES  WITH  THE   MYSTEKIES.  163 

Tradition  farther  relates  that  "  this  circumstance  filled 
the  craft  with  the  most  profound  grief,  which  was  deeply 
shared  by  his  friend  and  patron.  King  Solomon,  who, 
after  some  time  allowed  to  the  craft  to  vent  their  sorrow, 
ordered  his  obsequies  to  be  performed  with  great  solem- 
nity and  decency,  and  buried  him  as  near  the  temple  as 
the  laws  would  permit,  according  to  the  usage  among 
Masons,  and  long  mourned  his  loss.  A  monument  of 
most  magnificent  description,  curiously  constructed  of 
white  and  black  marble,  from  a  design  furnished  by 
Adoniram,  was  erected  to  his  memory  and  placed  in  the 
private  garden  of  the  king's  palace,  not  far  from  that 
extremity  of  the  temple  which  was  occupied  by  the  Holy 
of  Holies." 

And  yet  another  tradition — the  masonic  reader  will 
comprehend  why  these  traditions  are  not  presented  in  a 
connected  form — says  :  "  When  King  Solomon  had  pur- 
posed, agreeably  to  divine  command,  to  build  the  Temple 
of  Jerusalem,  he  sent  to  Hiram  king  of  Tyre  to  inform 
him  he  had  sought  in  vain  from  the  Jewish  nation  the 
solution  of  this  proposition,  put  forth  throughout  all  the 
land  of  Judea,  viz. :  Solomon  king  of  Israel  maketli 
known  to  all  his  loving  subjects  his  design  to  build  to 
the  LORD  GOD  of  Israel ;  and  that  round  about  the 
altar  and  holy  place  are  to  be  three  rows  of  chambers, 
and  round  about  the  porch  are  to  be  four  rows  of  cham- 
bers, and  that  there  is  a  certain  superficial  triple  figure 
in  geometry  whose  three  sides  are  of  true  arithmetical 
proportion,  and  when  squared  will  produce  the  exact 
number  of  chambers  required,  and  that  there  is  only 
one  such  figure  can  solve  the  question ;  and  that  man, 
whether  Jew  or  Gentile,  that  discovers  the  same  before 
the  foundation-stone  of  the  temple  is  laid,  should  be 


164 


TRADITIONS    OF    FREEMASONRY. 


appointed  Grand  Superintendent  of  the  glorious  build- 
ing. 

Hiram  king  of  Tyre  then  sent  Hiram  Abif  to  Jeru- 
salem with  this  reply  to  King  Solomon  :  "  Behold,  I  have 
sent  thee  a  cunning  man  capable  of  finding  out  any  device 
that  may  be  put  to  him  ;  let  the  great  and  wise  King  of 
Israel  submit  to  his  servant  the  problem  of  which  the 
solution  has  been  in  vain  attempted  by  the  tribes  of 
Judah,  and  I  feel  assured  its  discovery  will  be  made  and 
its  darkness  made  light." 

The  day  for  laying  the  foundation-stone  arrived,  but 
none  of  the  twelve  tribes  could  discover  the  problem, 
although  many  made  the  attempt.  Then  came  the  first 

trial  of  the  wonderful 
skill  of  our  inspired 
Grand  Master  Hiram 
Abif,  who  presented 
to  the  king,  on  the 
thrashing-floor  of  Ar- 
aunah  the  Jebusite, 
on  the  top  of  Mount 
Moriah,  his  curious 
plan,  which  convinced 
the  king  of  his  supe- 
rior abilities  and  ful- 
ly solved  the  problem 
submitted. 

The  figures  of  this 
problem,  whose  sides 
are  3,  4  and  5,  are  the 
only  numbers  in  arith- 
metical proportion  that  will  form  the  three  sides  of  a 
right-angled  triangle  capable  of  solving  the  query,  or  what 


21 

22  |/23 

24 

25 

1C 

17; 

; 

18 

19 

\20 

11 

/12 

13 

14 

15 

6/ 

7 

8 

9 

10"', 

/I 

2 

8 

m 

4x4=16 


5  x  5=25 


50 


COINCIDENCES  WITH  THE  MYSTERIES.  165 

amounts  to  the  same  tiling,  there  are  no  three  sides  of  a 
right-angled  triangle  that  bears  the  same  proportion  to 
each  other  as  the  figures  3,  4  and  5,  consequently  those  are 
the  only  roots  whose  numbers  would  give  50,  which  was 
the  number  of  chambers  King  Solomon  by  divine  inspira- 
tion was  commanded  to  build  about  the  altar  and  holy 
place  and  porch,  and  which  number  exactly  answered  to 
the  shekels  of  silver  given  by  King  David  to  Araunah  the 
Jebusite,  by  command  of  the  Almighty  through  the 
Prophet  Gad,  for  the  thrashing-floor  on  Mount  Moriah,  on 
which  spot  his  son  Solomon  built  the  first  temple  at 
Jerusalem. 

Hiram  Abif  was  immediately  honored  with  the  title 
of  Acting  and  Deputy  Grand  Master  in  conjunction  with 
Solomon  king  of  Israel  and  Hiram  king  of  Tyre,  and 
a  jewel  of  great  value  made  in  triangular  form,  with  the 
i  in  the  centre,  was  presented  to  him  by  King  Solomon. 
This  jewel  he  kept  constantly  on  his  person  that  the 
mysterious  characters  engraved  in  the  centre  might  not 
by  any  possible  chance  be  discovered  and  profaned. 
(Here  comes  in  a  portion  that  is  esoteric  ;  we  may  how- 
ever remark,  that  out  of  it  has  grown  the  modern  Ameri- 
can idea  of  the  plum~b.  There  is  no  symbolism  in  the  use 
sometimes  made  of  it,  and  it  is  in  opposition  to  the  whole 
theory  of  the  system — a  plwnb  !  instead  of  A.)  The 
tradition  concludes :  It  is  surprising  that  this  figure,  a 
right-angled  triangle,  increase  or  decrease  the  dimensions 
of  its  sides  as  you  please,  the  square  of  its  longest  side, 
called  the  hypotenuse,  will  be  exactly  equal  to  the  squares 
of  the  other  two  sides  ;  but  a  limitation  to  the  length  of 
the  sides  in  the  ratio  to  each  other  as  that  borne  by  the 
figures  3,  4  and  5  was  necessary  to  the  solution  oi'  King 
Solomon's  problem. 


166  TRADITIONS   OF  FREEMASONRY. 

This  noble  figure  is  delineated  in  the  Frst  Book  of 
Euclid,  and  the  honor  of  its  discovery  attributed  to 
Pythagoras,  the  learned  Grecian  philosopher,  who,  it  is 
said,  at  its  solution  cried  out  in  the  joy  of  his  heart, 
evprjKa  (eureka,  a  Greek  word  signifying  "  I  have  found 
it"),  and  sacrificed  a  hecatomb  to  the  Muses.  But  we,  as 
Masons,  know  that  its  discovery  (so  far  as  that  its  sides 
were  limited  to  the  just  proportional  ratio  borne  between 
the  figures  3,  4  and  5)  was  that  of  our  Grand  Master 
Hiram  Abif.  Our  learned  Brother  Pythagoras  in  attain- 
ing masonic  light  received  this  solution  of  the  problem, 
and  undoubtedly  increased  its  usefulness  and  value  by 
advancing  discovery  to  the  fact  that  the  extension  or 
diminution  of  either  of  the  legs  of  the  right  angle,  in 
no  wise  interrupted  its  geometrical  solution. 

The  instrument  with  which  Hiram  Abif  drew  his  de- 
signs, says  tradition,  "  was  made  of  steel  and  called  a 
stylus.  This  instrument  was  found  upon  him  after  he 
had  been  raised,  and  was,  by  the  command  of  King  Sclo- 
mon,  preserved  in  the  centre  of  his  monument.  The  first 
time  he  used  the  stylus  for  any  known  purposes  of  the 
temple  was  on  the  morning  the  foundation-stone  of  tlie 
temple  was  laid,  when  he  drew  that  celebrated  diagram 
which  is  generally  called  the  Forty-seventh  Problem  of 
Euclid,  which  gained  the  prize  offered  by  Solomon  on 
that  occasion." 

The  Cabalists  indulge  in  many  speculations  on  the 
name  of  Hiram  ;  but  one  of  them,  given  by  Brother  Ro- 
senburg,  will  be  inserted,  "  When  we  divide  the  word 
tn^n  Hiram  into  two  syllables,  tH'Tr  Bay-ram, 
the  translation  of  it  is,  He  who  exists  from  all  eternity." 

In  one  of  the  degrees  of  the  Adoniramite  rite  it  13 
related  that, "  on  the  stoppage  of  the  works,  by  the  death 


COINCIDENCES  WITH  THE   MYSTERIES.  167 

of  the  chief  architect  of  the  temple,  Solomon  assembled  all 
the  craftsmen  who  were  distinguished  for  their  talents 
and  formed  them  into  a  lodge  or  council.  To  supply  his 
place,  Adoniram  was  selected.  King  Solomon  then 
caused  the  letter  G-,  inclosed  within  a  blazing  star,  to  be 
placed  in  the  S.  S.,  and  conferred  on  the  council  the 
privilege  of  entering  it."  ' 


CHAPTEE  VIIL 

MASTER    MASON  —  CONTINUED. 


Relations   between   Hiram  king    of    Tyre   and  David  —  The 
Mysteries  caused  the  Unity  between  the   Phoenicians  and  the    Jews 

—  Tradition  of  the  Phoenicians  furnishing  the  Timber  for  Noah's 
Ark  —  Colleges  of  Artificers  —  Tradition  of  the   Penal  Code  of  Tyre 

—  Hiram  king  of  Tyre  —  Dionysian  Artificers  at  Tyre  —  Hiram  king 
of  Tyre   one  of  the  Grand  Masters  —  Tradition  of  his  Tomb  —  Scrip- 
tural Notices  of  Hiram  Abif  —  Explication  of  the  word  Abif  —  Solomon 
ascended  the  Throne  at  a  peculiarly  Auspicious  Period  —  Traditions  of 
Solomon  —  His  Wisdom  —  Patterns  of  the  Temple  furnished  by  David 

—  The  Temple  at  Edfou  a  Model  of  Solomon's  Temple  —  Speculations 
on  the  Cost  —  Examples  of  the  Riches  of  Ancient  Temples  —  Precious 
Metals  more  abundant  in  Ancient  than  in  Modern  Times  —  Examples 
of  the  Immense  Riches  of  Ancient  Kings  —  Where  their  Great  Riches 
were  obtained  —  Where  Solomon  obtained  his  Wealth  —  Tradition  — 
Speculations  as  to  the  Number  of  Workmen  employed  in  Building  the 
Temple  —  Classification  of  the  Workmen  —  Objections  to  such  Classi- 
fication —  Hebrew    Traditions  —  English  Classification  —  Necessity  of 
Classification  —  Tradition  —  Coincidences  —  Union  of  the  Two  Systems 
of  Masonry. 

THE  Scriptures  and  Joseplius  each  confirm  the  masonic 
tradition  that  amicable  relations  existed  between  Hiram 
king  of  Tyre  and  David,  and  that  such  relations  were 
continued  during  the  reign  of  Solomon.  There  is  no 
historical  account  that  Solomon  and  the  King  of  Tyre 
ever  saw  each  other,  and  yet  their  intercourse  by  means 
of  messengers  was  constant  and  intimate  ;  presents  were 
exchanged  and,  in  accordance  with  the  customs  of  the 
ancients,  problems  and  difficult  questions  were  propounded 
one  to  the  other.  The  Phoenicians  monopolized  the 

(168) 


COINCIDENCES  WITH  THE  MYSTERIES.  169 

carrying  trade  of  the  world,  and  the  Israelites  could  not 
afford  to  quarrel  with  them  ;  they  were  bound  together 
by  mutual  interest.  The  Phoanician  territory,  as  hereto- 
fore noticed,  was  rocky  and  barren,  unsuited  for  agricul- 
tural pursuits  ;  their  breadstuffs  were  obtained  in  ex- 
change for  their  timber,  colors  and  manufactures,  which 
by  means  of  their  caravans  and  shipping  were  distributed 
over  the  world. 

In  one  of  the  degrees  of  the  Rite  Ancient  and  Accepted 
it  is  said  that  "  The  Tsidunians  or  Phoenicians  were 
ever  ready  to  aid  the  Israelites  in  their  holy  enterprises. 
The  tie  between  them  was  the  mysteries  into  which  the 
principal  persons  of  both  nations  were  initiated  ;  Moses 
having  necessarily  received  them  in  Egypt  before  he 
could  marry  the  daughter  of  a  priest  of  On.  These 
mysteries,  modified  by  Solomon,  or  perhaps  at  an  earlier 
day  by  Joshua,  or  even  Moses,  to  suit  the  genius  and 
manners  of  the  Jewish  people,  became  Masonry,  such  as 
it  was  practiced  at  the  building  of  the  temple,  and  such 
as  in  part  it  has  come  down  to  us.  Hiram  king  of 
Tyre  in  Phoenicia,  and  Hiram  Abi,  also  a  Phoenician  and 
not  a  Jew,  were  also  initiates,  and  hence  the  intimate 
connection  between  them  and  Solomon  as  Masons.  The 
people  of  Tsidun  (Sidon),  a  city  of  Phoenicia,  were  em- 
ployed by  Noah  to  cut  cedars  on  Mount  Libanus,  of  which 
to  build  the  ark,  under  the  superintendence  of  Japheth. 
His  descendants  repeopled  Tsidun  and  Phoenicia  and 
procured  and  furnished  the  cedar  from  Lebanon  to  build 
the  Ark  of  the  Covenant ;  and  at  a  later  day,  his  poster- 
ity, under  Adoniram,  cut  in  the  same  forests  cedars  for 
King  Solomon,  and  at  a  time  still  later  they  felled  tim- 
ber on  the  same  mountains  to  construct  the  second  temple. 

"  Upon  the  same  mountain  they  established  Colleges  of 


170  TRADITIONS    OF    FREEMASONRY. 

Artificers,  like  those  of  Etruria,  and  afterward  at  Rome  ; 
from  which  latter  many  deduce  Masonry.  But  the  Etru- 
rians, who  emigrated  from  Assyria  to  Egypt  and  after- 
ward to  Etruria — better  known  as  the  Hyksos,  from  Resen 
(R.  S.  N.)  on  the  Tigris,  or  as  the  Shepherd  Kings — carried 
with  them  the  same  mysteries,  which  went  also  with  them 
into  Phoenicia ;  and  the  Etrurian  and  Roman  Colleges 
were  in  all  respects  like  those  of  Mount  Libanus.  These 
artificers  everywhere  adored  the  Great  Architect  of  the 
Universe,  and  had  their  signs  and  words  by  which  to 
recognize  each  other." 

An  old  tradition  says  that  the  Penal  Code  of  the  Ty- 
rians  contained  a  clause  "  that,  for  perjury  or  revealing  of 
secrets,  the  forefinger  of  the  right  hand  should  be  cut  off." 

Since  the  building  of  the  temple,  Hiram  king  of 
Tyre  has  been  recognized  as  one  of  the  three  Grand 
Masters.  This  tradition  must  have  had  some  origin  other 
than  because  he  furnished  men  and  material  for  the 
building.  King  Solomon  paid  him  for  his  household  for 
twenty  years  annually  twenty  thousand  measures  of  corn 
and  twenty  of  pure  oil,  while  the  temple  and  the  king's 
palace  were  in  progress  of  erection  ;  and  after  the  com- 
pletion of  the  temple,  gave  him  twenty  cities,  and  to 
the  workmen,  year  by  year,  twenty  thousand  measures 
each  of  corn  and  barley  and  twenty  thousand  baths  each 
of  wine  and  oil.  Now,  whether  the  king  was  initiated 
in  their  mysteries  or  not,  as  their  employer  he  was  and 
would  be  recognized  as  their  master  and  remembered  ac- 
cordingly. The  probabilities  are  that  he  was  initiated 
and  was  also  chief  of  the  order,  and  in  that  way  his 
name  became  associated  with  that  of  Solomon  and  Hiram 
Abif  as  one  of  the  three  Grand  Masters. 

Tradition  says  that  Hiram  king  of  Tyre  was  buried 


COINCIDENCES    WITH    THE   MYSTERIES.  17 1 

near  the  eastern  gate  of  the  city  of  Tyre,  and  that  a  mag- 
nificent tomb  received  his  remains. 

The  plains  of  Phoenicia  are  strewn  with  distinct  frag- 
ments of  antiquity.  One  of  these  is  called  the  Tomb  of 
Hiram,  an  engraving  of  which  is  the  frontispiece  of 
Allen's  work  on  the  Red  Sea.  The  tomb  stands  inland, 
among  wild,  rocky  hills,  about  three  miles  from  Tyre. 
It  is  a  single  gray  sarcophagus,  hollowed  out  so  as  just  to 
admit  a  body.  A  large  oblong  stone  is  placed  over  it, 
so  as  completely  to  cover  it ;  the  only  entrance  being  an 
aperture  knocked  through  at  its  eastern  extremity.  The 
whole  rests  on  a  rude  pedestal  of  upright  hewn  stones. 
The  Arabs  say  it  is  the  Tomb  of  King  Hiram,  buried  at 
the  eastern  gate  of  Old  Tyre,  which  at  this  time  reached 
down  the  hill  toward  the  sea. 

Hiram  Abif,  as  he  is  termed  by  Masons,  is  spoken  of 
in  three  places  in  the  Scriptures.  1st.  Simply  as  Hiram 
— 1st  Kings,  vii.  13  :  "  And  King  Solomon  sent  and 
fetched  Hiram  out  of  Tyre."  2d.  As  Huram  my  father's 
— 2d  Chronicles,  ii.  13  :  "  And  I  have  sent  a  cunning- 
man,  endued  with  understanding,  of  Huram  my  father's  ;" 
and  3d.  Huram  his  father — 2d  Chronicles,  iv.  16  :  " — did 
Huram  his  father  make  to  King  Solomon,  for  the  house  of 
the  Lord,  of  bright  brass." 

The  letters  in  the  Hebrew  text  are  "p^  dllH  Byrm 
Abif.  It  will  be  seen  that  the  words  used  by  Ma- 
sons, Hiram  Abif,  is  simply  using  the  equivalent  English 
letters  for  the  Hebrew  text,  which  is  in  accordance  with 
Luther's  Bible,  where  we  find  the  word  abif  used  instead 
of  father,  as  in  the  instances  as  cited  from  the  received 
version.  The  Hebrew  word  •"pi&fc  abif  signifies  "  his 
father,"  and  is  thus  rendered  in  our  Bibles. 

Certainly  the  King  of  Tyre  did  not  mean  to  say  that 


172  TRADITIONS   OF  FREEMASONRY. 

Hiram  was  Ms  father's  ;  nor  yet  did  the  writer  of  the 
Chronicles  mean  to  say  that  Hiram  was  Solomon's 
father.  The  word  ^  db  or  father  was  used  by  both 
the  Hebrews  and  Phoenicians  as  a  term  of  great  respect 
and  veneration  ;  this  sense  being  derived  from  the  pa- 
ternal love  and  care,  and  the  honor  due  to  a  father  or 
instructor.  Priests  and  prophets,  as  being  teachers  sent 
with  divine  authority,  are  saluted  with  the  title  of  father 
in  the  holy  writings  even  by  kings.  In  the  same  meta- 
phorical sense  the  prime  minister  or  chief  adviser  of  a 
king  was  called  his  father — a  custom  which  is  exemplified 
in  the  case  of  Joseph,  where  he  tells  his  brethren  that 
God  "  hath  made  me  father  to  Pharaoh."  Hence  we 
are  led  to  conclude  that  the  term  "  his  father  "  was  an- 
nexed to  denote  his  position  or  rank  in  the  mysteries, 
as  entitling  him  to  respect  and  veneration  as  a  teacher 
or  chief  adviser.  And  Jience  the  masonic  term  Grand 
Master. 

Solomon,  who  in  masonic  tradition  is  said  to  have 
been  the  first  of  the  three  Grand  Masters  concerned  in 
the  building  of  the  temple  at  Jerusalem,  was  anointed 
King  of  Israel  about  two  years  before  the  death  of  his 
father  David,  B.  c.  1020.  The  young  king,  for  he  was 
but  nineteen  years  of  age,  ascended  the  throne  of  Israel 
at  a  peculiarly  auspicious  period.  The  kingdom  was  es- 
tablished on  a  firm  basis  ;  the  surrounding  nations  were 
either  subject  to  the  payment  of  tribute,  or  there  existed 
treaties  of  amity  and  concord  between  them  and  the  Isra- 
elites. They  were  at  peace  with  all  the  world  and  among 
themselves.  Hence  Solomon  was  at  leisure  to  pursue 
those  plans  which  elevated  the  Hebrew  nation  to  a  position 
of  wealth,  grandeur  and  power  never  before  attained, 
and  made  it  during  his  reign  second  to  none  on  earth 


COINCIDENCES    WITH    THE    MYSTERIES.  173 

The  time  had  arrived,  prophesied  of  Moses  five  hundred 
jrears  before,  when  a  permanent  place  of  worship  should 
be  established,  and  a  building  erected  in  which  the 
whole  nation  were  to  offer  their  sacrifices.  The  Assyri- 
ans, the  Egyptians,  the  Phoenicians  and  the  other  nations 
had  their  temples,  lofty,  spacious  and  magnificent  in 
ornament.  The  Israelites  would  naturally  follow  the 
customs  of  other  nations  in  this  respect ;  but  as  they  wor- 
shiped the  true  God  they  would  be  ambitious  that  their 
temple  should  exceed  all  others  in  richness  and  beauty. 
During  the  latter  part  of  the  reign  of  David  a  large 
number  of  workmen  were  employed  in  "  hewing  stones 
and  bringing  them  to  Jerusalem ;"  a  large  amount  of 
different  kinds  of  materials  had  also  been  accumulated 
and  prepared  for  the  building,  and  God  had  promised 
that  David's  son  should  erect  it.  Tlie  ascent  of  Solomon 
to  the  throne  was  hailed  by  the  Israelites  with  great  joy, 
and  they  looked  forward  with  peculiar  satisfaction  for 
such  a  display  of  the  wealth  of  the  nation  as  should  sur- 
prise and  astonish  the  world. 

Solomon  was  soon  favored  by  God  with  a  vision,  and 
said  to  him,  so  it  is  recorded  in  Holy  Writ :  "  Ask  what 
I  shall  give  thee  -"  to  which  he  answered,  "  Give  me 
wisdom  and  knowledge."  Soon  thereafter  he  gave  that  re- 
markable proof  of  superior  wisdom  detailed  in  1st  Kings 
iii.  16-28,  which  greatly  enhanced  his  power  with  the 
people.  His  wisdom  became  the  theme  of  admiration  to 
surrounding  nations,  so  much  so,  that  the  Hebrew  and 
Arabic  writers  have  attributed  to  him  a  thorough  knowl- 
edge of  the  secrets  of  magic,  by  whose  incantations  they 
suppose  him  to  have  been  capable  of  calling  spirits 
and  demons  to  his  assistance ;  and  the  Talmudists 
and  Mahommedan  doctors  record  many  fanciful  legends 


174  TRADITIONS   OF   FREEMASONRY. 

of  his  exploits  in  controlling  those  ministers  of  dark- 
ness. 

Josephus  relates :  "  God  also  enabled  him  to  learn  that 
skill  which  expels  demons,  which  is  a  science  useful  and 
sanitive  to  man.  He  composed  such  incantations  also 
by  which  distempers  are  alleviated.  And  he  left  behind 
him  the  manner  of  using  exorcisms,  by  which  they  drive 
away  demons  so  that  they  never  return,  and  this  method 
of  cure  is  of  great  force  unto  this  day  ;  for  I  have  seen  a 
certain  man  of  my  own  country,  whose  name  was  Eleazar, 
releasing  people  that  were  demoniacal  in  the  presence 
of  Vespasian  and  his  sons,  and  his  captains,  and  the 
whole  multitude  of  his  soldiers." 

A  Mahomrnedan  tradition  says :  "  The  devils  having, 
by  God's  permission,  tempted  Solomon  without  success, 
they  made  use  of  a  trick  to  blast  his  character.  For  they 
wrote  several  books  of  magic  and  hid  them  under  that 
prince's  throne  ;  and  after  his  death  told  the  chief  men 
that  if  they  wanted  to  know  by  what  means  Solomon  had 
obtained  his  absolute  power  over  men,  genii  and  the 
winds,  they  should  dig  under  his  throne.  Having  done 
this  they  found  the  aforesaid  books,  which  contained 
impious  superstitions.  The  better  sort  refused  to  learn 
the  evil  arts  therein  delivered,  but  the  common  people 
did,  and  the  priests  published  this  scandalous  story  of 
Solomon,  which  obtained  credit  among  the  Jews,  till 
God  cleared  the  memory  of  that  king  by  the  mouth  of 
Mahomet,  who  declared  that  Solomon  was  no  idolater." 

As  a  naturalist,  Solomon  is  said  to  have  written  a  work 
on  Zoology  of  no  ordinary  character,  and  another  on  Bot- 
any, neither  of  which  have  been  preserved  ;  he  composed 
over  a  tliDusand  poems,  and  spake  over  three  thousand 
parables.  Such  of  his  writings  as  have  been  preserved 


COINCIDENCES  WITH  THE  MYSTEEIES.  175 

afford  abundant  evidence  that  lie  was  well  versed  in  all 
the  arts  and  sciences. 

David  not  only  furnished  a  great  amount  of  treasure 
and  materials  for  the  building  ;  he  also  gave  him  a  pat- 
tern or  plan  of  the  structure.  Whence  was  this  derived  ? 
The  Hebrew  term  (D*Oi)  rendered  pattern  is  precisely 
the  same  as  that  which  the  Lord  used  when  he  charged 
Moses  to  make  the  sanctuary  and  its  furniture  "  accord- 
ing to  all  that  I  show  thee,  after  the  pattern  of  the  taber- 
nacle, and  the  pattern  of  all  the  instruments  thereof." 
(Exod.  xxv.  9.)  It  is  universally  allowed  that  the  in- 
structions which  Moses  received  as  to  the  form  and 
figure  of  all  these  things  were  amply  sufficient  to  enable 
him  to  describe  them  most  exactly.  The  repeated  cau- 
tious addressed  to  him  suppose  this,  for  they  all  charge 
him  to  construct  the  holy  place  and  its  furniture  after  the 
pattern  which  had  been  showed  him  in  the  mount.  He  had 
seen  or  received  impressions  equivalent  to  those  pro- 
duced by  sight,  and  was  therefore  fully  acquainted  with 
the  plan  of  the  work  to  be  done.  "  Then  David  gave  to 
Solomon  his  son  the  pattern  of  the  porch,  and  of  the 
houses  thereof."  (1st  Chron.  xxviii.  11.) 

There  can  be  no  reason  why  the  term  pattern  here 
used  should  be  limited  to  a  less  measure  of  knowledge 
than  in  the  case  of  Moses.  We  are  left  in  the  dark  as 
to  whether  David  gave  Solomon  merely  verbal  descrip- 
tions of  the  several  parts  of  the  proposed  building,  or 
whether  he  gave  him  ichnographic  delineations.  Judg- 
ing by  masonic  tradition,  we  should  conclude  that  the 
former  was  the  case.  But  still  the  question  recurs,  Where 
or  from  whence  did  David  derive  the  pattern  ?  Was  the 
architectural  design  original  or  copied  ?  On  this  point 
we  find  two  passages  in  the  Chronicles,  the  first,  "  And 


176  TRADITIONS  OF  FREEMASONRY. 

the  pattern  of  all  that  he  had  by  the  Spirit"  (1st  Chron. 
xxviii.  12),  and  in  the  nineteenth  verse  of  the  same 
chapter  we  find,  " '  All  this/  said  David, '  the  Lord  made 
me  understand  in  writing  by  his  hand  upon  me,  even  all 
the  works  of  this  pattern.7 "  In  what  manner  this  infor- 
mation was  given  to  David  we  are  not  informed,  whether 
by  special  revelation,  in  visions  or  in  any  other  way  ;  but 
we  are  told  that  the  knowledge  of  the  form  of  the  whole 
building  and  its  several  parts  which  he  thus  obtained 
was  not  a  vague,  uncertain  impression  floating  in  his 
imagination,  but  knowledge  so  ample  and  distinct  as  en- 
abled him  to  detail  the  whole  in  written  accounts. 

There  is  another  theory  that  the  temple  was  built 
upon  a  plan  corresponding  with  one  of  the  temples  at 
Edfou,  in  Upper  Egypt.  This  latter  had  its  porch,  the 
entrance  to  which  was  between  two  pyramidal  moles  ;  the 
entrance  conducted  to  a  court  surrounded  ivith  pillars,  and 
a  winding  stairs  furnished  access  to  a  middle  chamber. 
The  entrance  to  the  adytum  or  sanctuary,  where  there 
was  a  representation  or  presentment  of  the  Deity,  was 
from  the  middle  chamber.  None  but  the  priests  were 
allowed  to  enter  the  adytum,  as  none  but  the  High  Priest 
was  allowed  to  enter  the  Sanctum  Sanctorum  of  Solomon's 
Temple  after  its  dedication. 

But  from  whatever  source  obtained,  nothing  can  be 
more  certain  than  the  fact  that  of  all  the  buildings  which 
were  ever  erected,  there  is  not  one  which  supplies  such 
ample  evidence  of  having  been  built  on  a  perfect  and 
fully  detailed  plan  as  the  celebrated  temple  at  Jerusalem. 

Considering  the  great  extent  of  the  whole  erection, 
and  taking  into  account  the  peculiarity  of  the  design  and 
its  highly  ornamental  character,  and  moreover,  that  it 
u  was  built  of  stone  made  ready  before  it  was  brought 


COINCIDENCES    WITH    THE    MYSTERIES.  177 

thither,  so  that  there  was  neither  hammer  nor  ax  nor  any 
tool  of  iron  heard  in  the  house  while  it  was  in  building," 
while  it  proves  the  excellence  of  the  workmanship  and 
skill  of  the  artisan,  no  less  clearly  demonstrates  the  per- 
fection and  completeness  and  detail  of  the  various  archi- 
tectural designs.  Altogether,  the  design  and  execution 
afford  one  of  the  most  splendid  exhibitions  of  cultivated 
and  scientific  intellect  which  the  world  has  ever  seen. 

The  traditional  estimates  of  the  amount  of  treasure 
used  in  the  construction  of  the  temple,  its  furniture  and 
ornaments,  would  be  incredible  but  for  the  support  of 
the  Scriptures.  The  edifice  alone  consumed  more  gold 
and  silver,  if  our  estimate  of  the  weight  or  value  of  the 
talent  is  correct,  than  at  present  exists  upon  the  whole 
earth.  In  Chronicles  it  is  recorded  that  David  as  king 
gave  of  gold  one  hundred  thousand  talents  and  of  silver 
one  thousand  thousand  talents,  and  as  an  individual  three 
thousand  talents  in  gold  and  seven  thousand  in  silver, 
and  that  the  "  chief  persons"  gave  of  gold  five  thousand 
talents  and  of  silver  ten  thousand  talents.  The  Hebrew 
talent  of  gold  is  said  to  have  been  equal  to  $26,499 
American  coin,  and  the  silver  talent  is  valued  at  $1,711.38. 

David  as  king  gave  an  amount  in  gold  equal  to  -  $2,649,900,000 
David  as  an  individual  gave  in  gold  equal  to  -  79,497,000 
The  "chief  persons"  gave  in  gold  -  -  -  132.495,000 
We  find  that  David  as  king  gave  of  silver  -  -  1,711,380,000 

And  as  an  individual 11,979,660 

The  "chief  persons"  gave 17,113,800 

Making  a  total  of  gold  and  silver  of  -        -  $4,602,365,460 

The  value  of  the  gems,  precious  stones,  brass  and  iron 
was  not  enumerated ;   the  two  latter,  at  least,  was  so 
plentiful  that  its  value  was  thought  nothing  of. 
8* 


178  TRADITIONS    OF    FREEMASONRY. 

According  to  Josephus  there  were  two  hundred  and 
thirty-four  thousand  gold  and  three  hundred  and  eighteen 
thousand  silver  vessels  and  utensils  used  in  the  temple 
worship,  all  of  which  were  completed  before  its  dedi- 
cation. 

As  a  matter  of  curiosity,  we  give  one  of  the  specula- 
tions indulged  in  by  Masons  a  century  ago  relative  to 
the  cost  of  the  temple,  ornaments,  furniture,  wages, 
jewels,  etc. : 

The  movable  jewels,  gold  and  silver  vessels,  etc., 
amounted,  reduced  to  the  American  standard, 

to $33,419,340,900 

The  wages,  diet  and  clothing  of  the  workmen      -      677,600,000 
The  fixtures  or  immovable  jewels  -  726,000,000 
That  there  was  contributed  from  all  sources  -        387,200,000,000 
And  when  all  was  completed  there  was  in  the  treas- 
ury          53,441,265,141 

An  American  masonic  manual  computes  the  amount 
expended  to  have  been  : 

For  the  vessels  of  gold  and  silver-        -        -        -$4,765,610,314 
And  the  gold,  silver,  precious  stones,  brass,  etc.    -  66,838,681,800 

There  is  no  data  upon  which  to  found  any  estimate 
of  the  value  of  the  treasure  used ;  even  in  the  case  of 
David  and  the  principal  men,  no  estimate  is  made  except 
as  to  the  talents  of  gold  and  silver  presented.  The 
whole  tone  of  Scripture  and  tradition  proves  that  the 
amount  of  treasure  furnished  during  the  time  of  David 
was  but  a  proportion  of  the  whole  amount  used,  enor- 
mous as  that  amount  was. 

The  expense  of  the  temple  furniture,  added  to  that  of 
its  construction,  ornaments  and  jewels,  is  placed  out  of 
the  power  of  computation  ;  but  still,  although  no  parallel 


COINCIDENCES   WITH  THE   MYSTERIES.  179 

may  exist  to  compete  with  the  taste  and  delicacy  of  the 
architecture  and  decorations,  yet  for  riches  some  idol 
temples  appear  to  have  scarcely  fallen  short  of  it. 

When  Alexander  the  Great  plundered  the  Temple  of 
Kreeshna  at  Mathura,  in  Hindostan,  he  found  five  great 
idols  of  pure  gold,  that  had  for  eyes  rubies  of  immense 
value.  He  found  there  also  a  hundred  idols  of  silver, 
which  being  melted  down  loaded  as  many  camels  with 
bullion  ;  and  it  will  be  remembered  that  the  usual  load 
which  this  powerful  animal  carries  is  from  seven  hundred 
and  fifty  to  twelve  hundred  pounds  weight,  varying  ac- 
cording to  its  magnitude. 

When  the  Phoenicians  seized  the  Temple  of  Delphi, 
they  melted  down  golden  ornaments  to  the  amount  of 
ten  thousand  talents,  equal  in  value  to  two  hundred  and 
sixty-four  million  nine  hundred  and  ninety  thousand 
dollars. 

Herodotus  mentions  the  statues  in  the  Temple  of  Belus, 
and  states  that  the  single  one  of  Jupiter  Belus  was 
valued  at  eight  hundred  talents  (twenty-one  million  one 
hundred  and  ninety-six  thousand  two  hundred  dollars). 
Diodorus  mentions  the  same  statue,  and  adds  a  descrip- 
tion of  two  others  still  more  valuable  ;  one  of  Rliea,  which 
weighed  one  thousand  talents,  and  was  seated  on  a 
throne  of  massive  gold,  accompanied  by  two  golden  lions 
and  two  serpents  in  silver  which  weighed  thirty  talents 
each  ;  the  other  of  Juno,  which  weighed  eight  hundred 
talents,  her  right  hand  grasping  a  serpent  by  the  head, 
and  her  left  a  golden  sceptre  incrusted  with  gems.  Be- 
fore these  three  colossal  figures  stood  an  altar  of  beaten 
gold,  forty  feet  in  length,  fifteen  in  breadth  and  weighing 
five  hundred  talents.  On  this  altar  stood  two  vast 
flagons,  each  weighing  thirty  talents ;  two  censors  for 


180  TRADITIONS    OF    FREEMASONRY. 

incense,  each  weighing  five  hundred  talents,  and  three 
vessels  for  the  consecrated  wine  weighing  together  nine 
hundred  talents. 

The  foregoing  examples  are  sufficient  to  show  the 
enormous  wealth  that  was  lavished  on  their  temples  by 
the  ancients.  It  is  very  evident,  from  a  consideration 
of  the  history  of  the  ancient  times,  that  the  precious 
metals  and  gems  were  much  more  abundant  than  at 
present.  Historians  say  that  Ptolemy  Philadelphus  left 
at  his  decease  the  vast  sum  of  seven  hundred  and  forty 
thousand  talents,  equal  to  nineteen  thousand  five  hundred 
and  ninety-nine  million  two  hundred  and  sixty  thousand 
dollars.  The  annual  revenue  of  Ptolemy  Auletes  was 
twelve  thousand  five  hundred  talents,  or  three  hundred 
and  thirty-one  million  two  hundred  and  thirty-seven  thou- 
sand and  five  hundred  dollars.  The  Kings  of  Lydia 
presented  to  the  Temple  of  Delphi  in  statuary  and  orna- 
ments of  gold  the  sum  of  four  million  two  hundred 
and  fifty-seven  thousand  and  ten  dollars.  The  riches  of 
the  Persian  monarchs  appear  to  have  been  incalculable. 
It  is  said  of  Susa  that  the  throne  in  the  king's  palace 
was  of  gold,  studded  with  g&ms  of  great  value  ;  the  walls 
of  the  palace  were  overlaid  in  fanciful  patterns  wi.th 
gold,  ivory  and  amber  ;  all  the  vessels  were  of  gold  or 
silver,  the  court  guard  numbered  ten  thousand  men,  each 
of  whom  wore  a  collar  of  pure  gold  and  robes  of  golden 
tissue.  The  monarch's  bedstead  was  of  gold,  and  his 
bolster  laid  on  a  casket  containing  five  thousand  golden 
talents.  His  chariot  is  described  as  a  mine  of  gold  and 
rubies  ;  it  contained  a  golden  throne,  supported  by  statues 
and  surmounted  by  an  eagle  of  the  same  metal.  When 
this  royal  palace  was  plundered  by  Alexander  the  Great, 
it  afforded  him  a  prize  of  nine  thousand  talents  of  coined 


COINCIDENCES    WITH    THE    MYSTERIES.  181 

gold  and  forty  thousand  talents  of  bullion.  And  the 
same  conqueror  took  from  Persepolis  one  hundred  and 
twenty  thousand  talents  of  gold,  equal  to  three  thousand 
one  hundred  and  seventy-nine  million  eight  hundred  and 
eighty  thousand  dollars,  besides  gems,  vessels  and  em- 
broidered garments  beyond  all  calculation.  One  thou- 
sand pair  of  mules  and  five  hundred  camels  were  required 
to  carry  it  away.  The  annual  tribute  arising  from  the 
conquests  of  this  victorious  general  amounted,  so  says 
Justin,  to  a  sum  equal  to  ten  thousand  four  hundred  and 
fifty-four  million  four  hundred  thousand  dollars,  which  he 
distributed  with  princely  munificence  among  his  followers. 
He  is  reported  to  have  said  of  his  soldiers,  "  Those  who 
had  no  property  besides  their  armor  a  few  years  ago, 
now  sleep  in  bedsteads  of  silver  and  cover  their  tables 
with  golden  vessels."  The  foregoing  calculations  are 
made  upon  the  value  of  the  golden  talent  of  the  Hebrews. 

The  treasures  of  the  King  of  Calicut  were  so  immense 
that  they  could  not  be  contained  in  two  large  vaults. 
They  consisted  of  precious  stones,  plates  of  gold,  and  as 
much  coined  gold  as  may  suffice  to  lade  one  hundred 
mules.  In  his  treasury  was  a  coffer  three  spans  long  and 
two  broad,  full  of  precious  stones  of  incalculable  value. 

The  possession  of  such  enormous  wealth  was  not  con- 
fined to  monarchs.  Pythias,  an  opulent  merchant  of  Ly- 
dia,  who  had  already  presented  to  Darius  a  vine  and 
plane-tree  of  wrought  gold,  on  whose  branches  huge  clus- 
ters of  emeralds  and  rubies  were  suspended  in  imitation 
of  fruit,  entertained  at  his  own  expense  the  whole  of 
Xerxes'  army,  which  is  said  to  have  numbered  after  he 
crossed  the  Hellespont  nearly  three  millions  ;  and  at  the 
conclusion  of  the  repast  offered  to  advance,  toward  de- 
fraying the  expenses  o°  the  expedition,  two  thousand 


182  TRADITIONS   OF  FREEMASONRY. 

talents  of  silver  and  three  million  nine  hundred  and 
ninety-three  thousand  darics  of  gold,  a  sum  equal  tc 
twenty-five  million  dollars.  Xerxes  was  so  much  grati- 
fied with  this  munificent  proposal  that  he  not  only  de- 
clined it,  but,  to  show  that  his  resources  were  in  no 
respect  in  need  of  such  assistance,  he  ordered  seven 
thousand  darics  to  be  presented  to  Pythias  from  his  own 
treasury  as  a  token  of  the  royal  favor  and  esteem. 

The  Romans  were  glutted  with  the  spoils  of  the  earth  ; 
individuals  became  enormously  wealthy  and  set  no  bounds 
to  their  extravagance.  Whatever  was  very  expensive 
became  the  object  of  their  desires  ;  and  the  most  enormous 
prices  are  recorded  as  having  been  given  for  things  of 
little  or  no  real  use.  Esop,  the  tragedian,  gave  a  supper 
to  a  few  of  his  friends,  and  for  a  single  dish  of  birds  he 
paid  nearly  twenty-five  thousand  dollars.  Caligula  ex- 
pended over  four  hundred  thousand  dollars  on  a  single 
supper.  Vitellius  expended  about  forty  million  dollars 
a  year  on  entertainments.  Pliny  says  that  at  a  moderate 
entertainment  he  saw  a  Roman  matron,  the  jewels  of 
whose  dress  cost  one  million  five  hundred  and  sixty-two 
thousand  nine  hundred  and  seventeen  dollars.  Apicius, 
after  squandering  incalculable  sums  of  money  on  his  sen- 
sual appetite,  poisoned  himself  because  he  was  only  worth 
about  five  hundred  thousand  dollars,  fearing  he  should 
want  for  the  common  necessaries  of  life. 

In  Arabia  the  precious  metals  were  so  plentiful  that 
the  pillars  or  door-posts  of  their  houses  were  resplendent 
with  gold  and  silver  ;  their  domestic  utensils  were  made 
of  the  same  material,  and  their  persons  were  profusely 
decorated  with  ornaments  of  the  same  substances,  and 
also  of  precious  stones.  It  is  even  recorded  that  the 
Arabians  considered  gold  as  dross  ;  and  they  would  give 


COINCIDENCES   WITH   THE   MYSTERIES.  183 


double  its  weight  for  iron  and  tin  ;  treble  for  brass,  and 
ten  times  its  weight  for  silver. 

The  ancient  writers  tell  us,  to  show  from  whence  such 
immense  amounts  of  gold  was  obtained,  that  in  Arabia 
gold  was  found  in  lumps  as  big  as  a  pigeon's  egg,  and 
often  larger,  so  pure  as  not  to  require  any  refining  ;  and 
in  some  parts  the  sands  of  the  rivers  and  streams  would 
be  so  fully  charged  with  this  metal  as  to  constitute  a  per- 
fect bed  of  solid  gold,  so  that  the  inhabitants  gathered  it 
without  any  trouble.  Mines  existed  in  Spain,  Egypt, 
Ethiopia,  etc.  The  mines  in  Spain  were  so  productive 
that  the  Tyrians  carried  away  gold  and  silver  as  ballast 
for  their  ships ;  and  even  their  anchors  and  other  ap- 
pendages were  constructed  of  the  same  material. 

The  concurrent  testimony  of  Herodotus,  Agatharchides, 
Strabo,  Diodorus,  Pliny,  Livy,  Appian,  Philostrates,  etc., 
sustains  the  foregoing  details  of  the  superabundance  of 
the  precious  metals  in  ancient  times.  They  are  presented 
here  to  show  that  the  accounts  transmitted  to  us  respect- 
ing the  amounts  of  gold  and  silver  used  in  decorating  the 
Temple  of  Solomon  may  not  be  exaggerated,  whatever 
our  ideas  may  be,  judging  from  the  scarcity  of  the  pre- 
cious metals  in  these  latter  days. 

We  are  not  left  to  mere  speculation  relative  to  the 
sources  from  whence  Solomon  obtained  his  wealth.  Da- 
vid left  him  a  vast  amount  which  he  had  accumulated 
from  the  spoils  of  the  various  nations  that  he  had  sub- 
dued, beside  the  annual  tribute  which  they  paid.  Solo- 
mon's commercial  enterprises  must  have  netted  him  vast 
amounts  of  treasure ;  the  expedition  to  Ophir  brought 
him  twelve  million  dollars.  He  built  several  cities — 
Tadmor  or  Palmyra,  Baalbec  or  Heliopolis,  Greber  and 
Bethoron,  by  which  means  he  turned  the  trade  of  the 


184  TRADITIONS    OF    FREEMASONRY. 

* 

Indies  through  his  dominions.  This  trade  was  of  im- 
mense importance,  for  to  it  was  Thebes  and  Memphis 
indebted  for  their  preeminence. 

The  conquests  of  David  having  extended  the  sway  of 
the  Hebrew  sceptre  from  Egypt  to  the  Euphrates,  and 
from  Hamath  to  the  Red  Sea,  left  Solomon  with  ample 
territorial  possessions  for  the  most  extended  schemes  of 
commercial  policy.  He  fully  availed  himself  of  these  ad- 
vantages. By  building  Baalbec  he  obtained  an  interest 
in  the  great  northern  trade  ;  by  means  of  Palmyra  he 
secured  the  traffic  of  Babylon,  Persia  and  Central  Asia. 
Through  his  maritime  enterprise  at  Geber,  or  Ezion-ge- 
ber,  he  obtained  access  to  the  gold  coasts  of  Arabia  and 
India,  while  the  possession  of  Petra  gave  him  the  old 
land-trade  of  Arabia.  By  these  successful  efforts  Sol- 
onion  became  as  celebrated  for  his  riches  as  for  his  wis- 
dom ;  he  exceeded  all  the  kings  of  the  earth.  Silver  in 
Jerusalem  was  as  abundant  as  stones,  and  cedars  as  syc- 
amore trees. 

There  is  a  curious  circumstance  which  illustrates  the 
enterprise  of  Solomon,  and  the  extent  and  variety  of  his 
traffic.  He  carried  on  an  extensive  trade  with  Egypt  for 
horses,  which  is  extremely  singular,  because  up  to  his 
reign  the  Israelites  were  ignorant  of  the  use  and  manage- 
ment of  these  animals.  The  Egyptians  and  Canaanites 
in  the  earliest  times  had  chariots  and  horses,  but  God's 
chosen  people  had  none.  In  the  time  of  Saul  the  Ara- 
bians had  no  horses,  for  when  conquered  by  the  tribes 
beyond  Jordan  the  spoil  consisted  of  camels,  sheep,  asses 
and  slaves,  but  no  booty  in  horses  is  mentioned.  In  the 
reign  of  David  he  was  opposed  by  cavalry,  but  used  none 
against  his  enemies  ;  and  so  little  knowledge  had  he  of 
the  value  of  the  horse,  that  when  he  captured  those  of 


COINCIDENCES  WITH  THE  MYSTERIES.  185 

the  enemy  he  ordered  them  to  be  ham-strung  and  slain. 
"  Arabia  was  not  at  this  period,"  according  to  Michaelis, 
famed  for  the  breeding  of  horses,  the  best  of  which  came 
from  Egypt ;  and  the  Phoenician  kings  on  the  north  side 
of  Palestine,  between  the  Orentes  and  the  Mediterranean, 
used  a  great  many  horses,  partly  for  the  state  and  partly 
for  cavalry.  In  fact,  we  find  that  Hiram  king  of  Tyre 
had  established  a  riding-ground.  By  this  passion  of  the 
Tyrians  for  horses  Solomon  took  care  to  profit." 

It  is  stated  in  the  preceding  pages,  that  in  the  building 
of  the  temple,  Solomon  had  the  assistance  of  workmen 
from  Phoenicia  and  the  "  strangers  in  the  land."  We 
have  no  account  of  the  whole  number  thus  employed.  In 
2d  Chronicles,  ii.  17,18,  is  an  account  as  follows :  "  And  Sol- 
omon numbered  all  the  strangers  that  were  in  the  land  of 
Israel,  after  the  numbering  wherewith  David  his  father 
had  numbered  them  ;  and  they  were  found  an  hundred 
and  fifty  thousand  and  three  thousand  and  six  hundred. 
And  he  set  threescore  and  ten  thousand  of  them  to  be 
bearers  of  burdens,  and  fourscore  thousand  to  be  hewers 
in  the  mountain,  and  three  thousand  and  six  hundred 
overseers  to  set  the  people  a  work." 

These,  it  will  be  observed,  were  the  strangers  in  the 
land  that  David  had  previously  enumerated,  and  doubt- 
less included  the  masons  and  carpenters  sent  some  years 
before  this  by  the  King  of  Tyre  to  build  David's  house, 
as  related  in  1st  Chronicles  xiv.  1.  If  these  strangers 
were  the  expert  workmen  required,  it  appears  they  were 
not  sufficient  in  number,  as  Solomon  sent  to  the  King  of 
Tyre  for  more  ;  this  latter  number  is  not  enumerated  in 
the  Scriptures.  In  1st  Kings  v.  13, 14,  we  learn  that  of"the 
Israelites  thirty  thousand  were  employed :  "  And  King  Sol- 
omon raised  a  levy  out  of  all  Israel,  and  the  levy  was 


186  TRADITIONS    OF    FREEMASONRY. 

thirty  thousand  men.  And  he  sent  them  to  Lebanon ; 
ten  thousand  a  month  by  courses  ;  a  month  they  were 
in  Lebanon,  and  two  months  at  home :  and  Adoniram 
was  over  the  levy." 

The  succeeding  verses  make  the  same  enumeration  of 
the  strangers  in  the  land,  and  the  same  division  is  given 
as  quoted  from  Chronicles,  with  the  exception  that  the 
overseers  are  set  down  as  three  thousand  three  hundred. 
We  are  at  a  loss  to  account  for  the  omission  in  Kings  of 
the  three  hundred  overseers. 

There  are  several  traditions  of  the  classification  of  the 
workmen  at  the  temple,  from  which  the  following  tables 
are  selected.  The  first  is  from  the  first  printed  Book  of 
Constitutions,  which  enumerates  "  three  thousand  six 
hundred  Princes  or  Master  Masons  to  conduct  the  work 
according  to  Solomon's  directions,  with  eighty  thousand 
hewers  of  stone  in  the  mountain,  or  Fellow  Craftsmen,  and 
seventy-thousand  laborers — in  all  one  hundred  and  fifty- 
three  thousand  six  hundred  ;  besides  the  levy  under 
Adoniram  to  work  in  the  mountain  of  Lebanon  by  turns 
with  the  Sidonians,  viz.,  thirty  thousand — being  in  all 
one  hundred  and  eighty- three  thousand  six  hundred ;  for 
which  great  number  of  ingenious  Masons,  Solomon  was 
obliged  to  Hiram,  or  Huram,  king  of  Tyre,  who  sent  his 
masons  and  carpenters  to  Jerusalem,  and  the  firs  and 
cedars  of  Lebanon  to  Joppa,  the  next  sea  port. 

Forty  years  later,  the  Masonic  Pocket  Boole  (published 
in  1764)  gives  a  different  classification,  as  follows  : 
Harodim,      -  300 

MenatzcMm,         -        -        -       3,300 
GMblim,       -  83,000 

Adoniram's  men,  -  30,000 

Total,  ...        -    116,600 


COINCIDENCES   WITH  THE   MYSTERIES.  187 

Which,  together  with  the  seventy  thousand  ish  sailed  or 
laborers,  will  make  a  grand  total  of  one  hundred  and 
eighty-six  thousand  six  hundred  workmen,"  a  difference 
of  three  thousand.  Five  years  later,  the  Book  of  Constitu- 
tions gives  another  classification,  as  follows  : 

1.  Harodim,  Princes,  rulers  or  provosts  in  number,  300 

2.  Menatzchim,  overseers  or  Master  Masons,     -  3,300 

3.  Ghiblim,  stone  squares,  J 

Ish  choteb,  hewers,          >  All  Fellow  Crafts,       -        -     80,000 
Bcnai,  builders,  ) 

4.  The  levy  out  of  Israel,  who  were  timber-cutters,  under 

the  direction  of  the  noble  Adoniram,  who  was  the 
Junior  Grand  Warden, 30,000 

All  the  Freemasons  employed  in  the  work  of  the  tem- 
ple, exclusive  of  the  two  Grand  Wardens,  -  113,600 

Besides  the  ish  sallal  or  men  of  burden,  the  remains  of 
the  old  Canaanites,  amounting  to  seventy  thousand,  who 
are  not  numbered  among  the  Masons. 

The  above  is  the  classification  in  Anderson's  Book 
of  Constitutions,  edition  of  1769.  The  author  further 
says  :  "  Solomon  partitioned  the  Fellow  Crafts  into  cer- 
tain lodges  with  a  Master  and  Warden  in  each ;  that 
they  might  receive  commands  in  a  regular  manner ; 
might  take  care  of  their  tools  and  jewels  ;  might  be  paid 
regularly  every  week,  and  be  duly  fed  and  clothed  ;  and 
the  Fellow  Crafts  took  care  of  their  succession  by  edu- 
cating Entered  Apprentices." 

One  objection  to  the  above  classification  is,  that  it  is 
at  variance  with  the  theory  of  the  Master's  degree  as 
now  given,  in  that  it  styles  the  three  thousand  three 
hundred  overseers  Master  Masons.  The  theory  now  is 
that  there  were  but  three  Master  Masons  at  the  building 


188  TRADITIONS  OP  FREEMASONRY. 

of  the  temple — if  there  were  more  how  came  the  Mas- 
ter   to  be  lost  ? 

The  older  traditions  of  Masonry  say  "  that  the  only  ac- 
tual Freemasons  who  were  present  at  the  building  of  the 
temple  were  the  three  thousand  three  hundred  overseers 
mentioned  in  1st  Kings  v.  16,  added  to  the  three  hundred 
who  were  called  Ghiblimites,  and  were  in  fact  Masters 
over  all  the  operative  Masons  employed  in  the  work." 

Some  of  the  Jewish  Rabbins  attempt  to  reconcile  the 
discrepancies  in  the  number  of  overseers  as  given  in 
Kings  and  Chronicles,  by  the  statement  that  the  three 
thousand  three  hundred  overseers  mentioned  in  Kings 
were  master  workmen  over  the  seventy  thousand  carriers 
and  the  eighty  thousand  wood-cutters  in  the  mountain  ; 
and  that  three  hundred  had  the  command  over  the  whole, 
which  makes  the  additional  number  mentioned  in  Chron- 
icles. Others  again  say,  that  these  three  hundred  had  ju- 
risdiction over  the  three  thousand  three  hundred.  Again, 
others  say  that  the  three  hundred  were  superintendents 
of  the  work  performed  in  Lebanon. 

The  classification  of  Webb  was  as  follows  : 

3  Grand  Masters, 
3,300  Overseers, 
80^000  Fellow  Craft, 
70,000  Entered  Apprentices. 

This  account  makes  no  allusion  to  the  three  hundred 
Harodim,  nor  to  the  levy  of  thirty  thousand,  which  latter 
should  be  classed  among  the  Fellow  Crafts  ;  it  is,  there- 
fore, manifestly  incorrect. 

There  is  still  another  class  of  traditions  which  claims 
to  give  the  number  and  grade  of  workmen  employed  in 
the  quarries  and  in  the  forest,  and  at  Jerusalem.  Thus 
in  the  quarries  of  Tyre  there  were  : 


COINCIDENCES  WITH  THE  MYSTERIES.  189 

6  Super  Excellent  Masons, 
48  Excellent  Masons, 
8  Grand  Architects, 
16  Architects, 
2,376  Master  Masons, 
700  Mark  Masters, 
1,400  Mark  Men, 
53,900  Fellow  Crafts. 


58,454  Total. 

Divided  into  two  lodges  of  Super  Excellent  Masons, 
three  in  each  ;  six  of  Excellent  Masons,  nine  in  each,  in- 
cluding one  of  the  Super  Excellent  Masons  who  presided 
as  Master.  The  eight  Grand  Architects  constituted  one 
lodge,  and  the  sixteen  Architects  another.  The  Grand 
Architects  were  the  Masters,  and  the  Architects  the 
Wardens  of  the  lodges  of  Master  Masons,  which  were 
eight  in  number,  and  consisted,  with  their  officers,  of 
three  hundred  each.  The  Mark  Masters  were  divided 
into  fourteen  lodges  of  fifty  in  each,  and  the  Mark  Men 
into  fourteen  lodges  also  of  one  hundred  in  each.  The 
Mark  Masters  were  the  Masters,  and  the  Mark  Men  the 
Wardens  of  the  lodges  of  Fellow  Crafts,  which  were 
seven  hundred  in  number,  and  with  their  officers  con- 
sisted of  eighty  in  each. 

In  the  forest  of  Lebanon  there  were  : 

3  Super  Excellent  Masons, 
24  Excellent  Masons, 

4  Grand  Architects, 
8  Architects, 

1,188  Master  Masons, 

300  Mark  Masters, 

600  Mark  Men, 
23,100  Fellow  Crafts, 
10,000  Entered  Apprentices. 

35,227  Total. 


190  TRADITIONS  OF  FREEMASONRY. 

As  these  latter  were  said  to  have  been  arranged  in 
lodges  very  nearly  as  those  in  the  quarries,  we  shall  not 
recapitulate. 

After  three  years  had  been  occupied  in  heiving,  squar- 
ing and  numbering  the  stones,  and  in  felling  and  prepar- 
ing the  timber,  these  two  bodies  of  Masons,  from  the 
quarries  and  the  forest,  united  for  the  purpose  of  properly 
arraying  and  fitting  the  materials  so  that  no  metallic 
tool  might  be  required  in  putting  them  up  ;  and  they 
were  then  carried  up  to  Jerusalem.  Here  the  whole 
body  was  united  under  the  superintending  care  of  Hiram 
Abif ;  and  to  them  were  added  four  hundred  and  twenty 
lodges  of  Tyrian  and  Sidonian  Fellow  Crafts  having  eighty 
in  each,  and  the  twenty  thousand  Entered  Apprentices 
of  the  levy  from  Israel  who  had  before  been  at  rest,  and 
who  were  added  to  lodges  of  their  degree,  making  them 
now  consist  of  three  hundred  in  each,  so  that  the  whole 
number  then  engaged  at  Jerusalem  amounted  to  two 
hundred  and  seventeen  thousand  two  hundred  and  eighty- 
one,  who  were  arranged  as  follows  : 

9  Lodges  of  Excellent  Masons  (including  the  9  S/. 

E/.  M.\),  9  in  each,  were  81 

12  Lodges  of  Master  Masons    (including  the  Archi- 
tects, 36  in  all),  300  in  each,  were  -    3,600 
1,000  Lodges  of  Fellow  Crafts    (including  100  Mark 

Masters  and  2,000  Mark  Men),  80  in  each,  were  -  80,000 

420  Lodges  of  Tyrian  Fellow  Crafts,  80  in  each,  were  -  33,600 

100  Lodges  of  Entered  Apprentices,  300  in  each,  were  -  30,000 

70,000  Ish  sabbal  or  laborers,  were  -  70,000 

Total  -  217,281 

Such  is  the  system  adopted  by  the  English  Masons. 
We  would  suggest  to  our  readers  not  to  attempt  to 
narmonize  the  foregoing  tradition  of  the  number  of  men 


COINCIDENCES  WITH  THE  MYSTERIES.  19 1 

employed  in  the  quarries  and  forest  with  the  Scripture 
account  as  recorded  in  Kings  and  Chronicles. 

The  received  American  system  is  more  simple ;  accord- 
ing to  it  the  workmen  engaged  in  the  building  of  King 
Solomon's  Temple  are  supposed  to  have  been  classified 
as  follows : 

3  Grand  Masters ; 
300  Harodim    or    Chief   Superintendents,   who    were    Past 

Masters ; 
3,300  Overseers  or  Master  Masons,  who  were  divided  in  lodges 

of  3  each ; 

80,000  Fellow  Crafts,  divided  into  lodges  of  5  each  ; 
70,000  Entered  Apprentices,  divided  into  lodges  of  7  each. 

No  account  is  here  taken  of  the  levy  of  thirty  thousand 
under  Adoniram,  nor  of  the  builders  sent  by  Hiram  king 
of  Tyre,  whom  the  English  rituals  place  at  thirty-three 
thousand  six  hundred. 

The  same  objection  exists  to  this  classification  that  was 
noted  to  that  of  Anderson's  in  the  Book  of  Constitu- 
tions. The  three  thousand  three  hundred,  or  three 
thousand  six  hundred,  were  OVERSEERS  or  foremen  and 
not  MASTER  MASONS.  A  more  simple  classification  and 
one  that  conforms  to  the  present  Master's  degree  would 
be  as  follows  : 

3  Master  Masons,  who  were  the  Grand  Masters ; 
3,GOO  Overseers,  Wardens,  who  were  Fellow  Crafts,  and  for  their 

superior  skill  were  selected  as  foremen ; 
80,000  Fellow  Crafts,  of  the  strangers  in  the  land,  and 
33,000  Fellow  Crafts,  accepting  the  English  ritual  as  to  the  num- 
ber of  builders  sent  by  Hiram  king  of  Tyre  to  Solomon  ; 
70,000  Entered  Apprentices,  of  the  strangers  in  the  land,  and 
10,000  of  the  levy  out  of  Israel,  who  wrought  only  a  month  at  a 
time. 


192  TRADITIONS   OF   FREEMASONRY. 

These  thirty-three  thousand  six  hundred,  the  number 
stated  in  the  English  rituals  to  have  been  sent  to  Jeru- 
salem by  Hiram  king  of  Tyre,  were  the  Dionysian  arti- 
ficers spoken  of  on  page  156.  Doubtless  there  was  a 
company  or  companies  of  them  among  the  masons  and 
carpenters  sent  by  King  Hiram  to  build  David's  house, 
and  were  included  in  the  enumeration  of  one  hundred 
and  fifty- three  thousand  six  hundred ;  if  so,  then  the 
three  thousand  six  hundred  overseers  were  of  the  same 
fraternity,  and  a  portion  at  least  of  the  eighty  thousand 
who  are  styled  Menatzchim,  Ghiblim  and  Bonai. 

Some  kind  of  classification  was  necessary  for  the  pur- 
pose of  good  government ;  for,  if  this  excellent  arrange- 
ment had  not  prevailed  when  the  foundation  of  Solomon's 
Temple  was  first  laid,  it  is  easy  to  see  that  glorious  edifice 
would  never  have  risen  to  a  height  of  splendor  which, 
astonished  the  world.  Had  all  employed  in  this  work 
been  masters  or  superintendents,  who  would  have  pre- 
pared the  timber  in  the  forest  or  hewn  the  stone  in  the 
quarry,  or  done  the  casting  in  the  clayey  ground  ? 

Masonic  tradition  says  that  the  workmen  were  divided 
into  classes  or  degrees,  and  to  each  class  were  assigned 
different  methods  of  recognition.  There  is  no  doubt  that 
there  was  an  organization  among  the  Jews  which  ex- 
tended beyond  Judea.  The  Bible  exhibits  them  mixing 
themselves  with  the  Tyrians  or  Dionysian  artificers,  not- 
withstanding the  ordinary  repugnance  of  the  Israelites 
toward  strangers,  and  masonic  tradition,  which  must 
not  be  contemned,  shows  that  they  recognized  each  other 
by  words  and  secret  signs  similar  to  those  employed  by 
natives  of  other  countries.  There  was  also  between  the 
Jews  and  Tyrians  a  conformity  of  allegorical  taste,  par- 
ticularly in  all  that  affected  sacred  architecture.  How, 


COINCIDENCES  WITH   THE   MYSTERIES.  193 

otherwise,  can  we  account  for  the  fact  that  Solomon  did 
not  seek  assistance  in  building  from  his  father-in-law, 
the  King  of  Egypt,  with  whom  he  had  commercial 
treaties  and  with  whom  he  was  in  alliance  ?  Even  the 
house  that  he  built  for  his  Egyptian  wife  was  the  work 
of  his  Tyrian  artists,  and  yet  we  have  undoubted  evi- 
dence, in  the  buildings  and  sculptured  decorations  of  the 
Egyptian  temples,  that  they  possessed  at  that  time  the 
arts  in  at  least  as  high  a  state  of  perfection  as  any  thing 
Tyre  was  likely  to  produce.  The  great  bond  of  union 
between  the  Israelites  and  the  Tyrians  was  the  mysteries. 
Here  our  present  S.\  T/.  and  W.\  had  their  origin  ; 
and  here  too,  from  the  union  of  the  two  systems  of  ini- 
tiation, arose  the  idea  of  Freemasonry  being  an  operative 
society,  because  Solomon  engrafted  upon  the  Jewish  sys- 
tem of  speculative  or  religious  mystery  the  means  of 
recognition  and  ceremonies  brought  from  Tyre  by  Hiram 
Abif  as  chief  of  the  Dionysian  artificers. 


9 


CHAPTER  IX. 


MASTER  MASON —  CONTINUED. 

SOLOMON'S  Temple — Its  Dimensions  —  Comparison  in  Size  with  othef 
Temples  —  Appearance  —  Built  in  Seven  Years — Comparison  of  Time 
in  the  Erection  of  other  Buildings —  Tradition  of  the  Introduction  of  a 
Legend  —  Tradition  —  Tubal-Cain  —  Jubal  —  Jabal  —  Naamah  —  Spec- 
ulations as  to  Tubal  Cain's  Knowledge  of  Metallurgy  —  Traditions  of 
his  Family  —  Tubal-Cain  the  Vulcan  of  the  Ancients  —  The  Inventor  of 
the  Ax  — Did  not  Invent  but  Improved  Smith-Craft  — The  First  Mortal 
to  whom  Divine  Honors  were  paid  —  Rabbinical  Tradition  —  Tradition 
from  the  Book  of  Enoch  —  Mahommedan  Tradition  of  Tubal-Cain  — 
Meaning  of  the  "Word  —  Coincidences  between  Masonic  Ceremonies  and 
the  Hebrew  Ceremonial  Offering  of  Sacrifices  —  Confirmation  of  Cove- 
nants—  Scripture  Illustrations  —  Violation  of  a  Covenant,  how  Pun- 
ished—  Explication  of  the  Metaphorical  Language  of  Kcclesiastes  xii. 
1-7  —  Coincidences  in  the  Use  of  Plants  as  a  Sacred  Emblem  —  Lettuce 

—  Lotus  —  Erica  —  Mistletoe  —  Tradition  —  Myrtle  —  Legend  of  Eneas 

—  Marking  Graves  with  an  Evergreen  an  Ancient  Custom  —  Hebrew 
Custom  —  Traditions  of  Adam  and  the  Tree  of-  Life  —  Acacia  or  Cassia 

—  Substitute  for  the  Plants  used  in  the  Mysteries  —  All  had  a  Common 
Origin  —  Cassia  or  Acacia ;  Opinions  of  Masonic  Authors — Cassia  the 
Word  found  in  the  Scriptures — Impossible  to  Determine  what  Plant 
was  used  by  the  Jerusalem  Architects  —  Symbolism  —  Traditional  Ex- 
amples. 

THE  Temple  of  Solomon  was  built  on  the  same  plan  as 
the  tabernacle.  In  fact  it  was  simply  the  tabernacle  on 
an  extended  scale,  but  more  superbly  decorated  and 
wrought  out  in  the  details.  The  whole  area  was  a  right- 
angled  parallelogram,  instead  of  which  term  we  find  in 
the  old  rituals  "an  oblong  square"  The  length  from 
wall  to  wall  was  one  hundred  and  five  feet ;  the  breadth 
thirty-five  feet,  and  the  height  fifty-two  and  a-half  feet ; 
so  that  the  temple  was  twice  as  long  every  way  as  the 
tabernacle.  The  porch  was  two  hundred  and  ten  feet 

(194) 


COINCIDENCES   WITH  THE  MYSTERIES.  195 

high ;  its  length  thirty-five  feet,  and  breadth  seventeen 
and  a-half  feet.  The  wall  of  the  outer  court,  or  that  of 
the  Gentiles,  was  seven  thousand  seven  hundred  feet  in 
compass,  and  all  the  courts  and  apartments  would  con- 
tain three  hundred  thousand  people. 

Many  of  the  ancient  as  well  as  modern  temples  and 
churches  exceed  the  temple  at  Jerusalem  in  dimensions, 
but  history  gives  no.  account  of  any  that  would  compare 
with  it  in  richness  of  decorations.  The  Egyptian  temple 
at  Caranac  was  twelve  hundred  and  fifteen  feet  in  length 
and  averaged  three  hundred  and  forty  in  breadth.  The 
Temple  of  Jupiter  at  Olympia  is  two  hundred  and  thirty 
feet  long,  ninety-five  broad  and  sixty-eight  feet  in  height. 
That  of  Jupiter  at  Agrigentum,  in  Sicily,  is  three  hun- 
dred and  forty  feet  long,  one  hundred  and  sixty  wide 
and  one  hundred  and  twenty-eight  high.  The  dimen- 
sions of  St.  Paul's  in  London,  from  east  to  west,  within 
the  walls,  are  generally  stated  at  about  five  hundred  and 
ten  feet,  and  the  line  from  north  to  south,  within  the 
portico  doors,  is  about  two  hundred  and  eighty-two  feet. 

The  temple  at  Jerusalem  was  built  of  stone  of  dazzling 
whiteness,  fitted  so  exactly  that  the  walls  seemed  hewn 
out  of  the  solid  quarry.  It  rose  high  above  the  city, 
uniting  the  commanding  strength  of  a  citadel  with  the 
splendor  of  a  sacred  edifice.  The  roof  of  the  temple 
had  been  set  all  over  on  the  outside  with  sharp  golden 
spikes  to  prevent  the  birds  from  settling  on  it,  and  the 
gates  were  sheeted  with  plates  of  the  same  splendid 
metal.  At  a  distance  the  whole  temple  looked  literally 
like  a  mount  of  snow,  fretted  with  golden  pinnacles. 
The  prospect  of  it  transcended  all  that  we  are  now 
capable  to  imagine,  and  was  esteemed  the  finest  piece 
of  masonry  on  earth. 


196  TRADITIONS   OF   FREEMASONRY. 

So  perfect  was  the  organization  among  the  vast  num- 
ber of  workmen,  and  so  systematic  the  distribution  of 
labor,  that  Solomon's  Temple,  with  all  its  gorgeous  splen- 
dor and  minute  ornaments  in  detail,  was  finished  in  little 
more  than  seven  years  from  the  laying  of  the  foundation- 
stone,  while  the  Temple  of  Herod,  where  the  same  accu- 
rate arrangement  did  not  exist,  occupied  thirty-six  years  ; 
that  of  Diana,  at  Ephesus,  two  hundred  years  ;  St.  Peter's 
Cathedral  at  Rome,  one  hundred  and  fifty-five  years, 
and  St.  Paul's  in  London,  thirty-five  years  in  building. 

The  temple  was  completed,  and  the  placing  of  the  last 
or  cope-stone  was  being  celebrated  by  the  people  with 
great  joy,  when  the  festivities  were  interrupted  by  the 
sudden  death  of  the  chief  architect,  Hiram  Abif.  So 
says  one  of  the  old  traditions. 

To  perpetuate  the  memory  of  such  a  distinguished 
character,  a  legend  was  introduced  into  the  new  or 
united  system  as  a  substitute  for  the  ceremonies  brought 
by  Moses  out  of  Egypt  and  of  those  the  Dionysians 
artificers  brought  with  them  from  Phoenicia  ;  all  of  them 
emblems  of  great  leading  truths  common  to  all  the  an- 
cient nations.  On  this  subject  more  hereafter. 

An  old  masonic  tradition  asserts  that  Solomon  confer- 
red some  peculiar  privileges  as  a  reward  of  merit  upon 
such  as  were  considered  worthy  of  this  mark  of  royal 
favor.  When  the  temple  was  finished,  and  a  short  time 
prior  to  its  dedication,  King  Solomon  permitted  such  of 
the  Fellow  Crafts  as  from  their  superior  assiduity  and 
skill  had  proved  themselves  worthy,  to  ascend  to  the  up- 
per or  fourth  row  of  chambers  in  the  porch,  where  the  most 
sacred  furniture  of  the  tabernacle  had  been  deposited; 
in  the  centre  of  which  was  the  famous  middle  chamber — 
which,  being  symbolical  of  the  Divine  Presence,  contained 


COINCIDENCES   WITH   THE   MYSTERIES.  197 

the  celebrated  LETTER,  which  was  a  symbol  of  the  Sacred 
Name — where  certain  important  secrets  were  communi- 
cated to  them. 

Among  the  names  which  tradition  connects  with  the 
science  of  Freemasonry  is  that  of  Tubal-Cain,  the  son  of 
Lamech,  who  was  fifth  in  descent  from  Cain.  Lamech 
had  two  wives,  Adah  and  Zillah ;  to  Adah  was  born 
Jabal  and  Jubal,  and  to  Zillah,  Tubal-Cain  and  Naamah. 
Jubal  was  the  inventor  of  music,  or  the  father  of  all  such 
as  handle  the  harp  and  organ,  which  the  Greeks  attrib- 
uted to  Apollo.  Jabal  was  the  father  of  such  as  dwell 
in  tents',  and  of  such  as  have  cattle.  Naamah,  the  sister 
of  Tubal-Cain,  is  said  to  have  invented  the  art  of  pre- 
paring wool,  spinning  into  threads  and  weaving  it  into 
garments,  and  was  probably  the  Minerva  of  the  Greeks. 
She  is  also  said  to  have  invented  drawing  and  colors, 
and  because  of  her  surpassing  beauty,  by  the  Arabians 
and  others,  was  taken  for  Venus.  We  have  no  absolute 
authority  for  attributing  these  inventions  to  Naamah, 
except  from  the  testimony  of  those  who  lived  in  ages 
remote,  it  is  true,  from  the  time  when  she  flourished. 
Such,  however,  is  the  masonic  tradition.  The  impulse 
for  inventions  having  been  given,  nothing  can  be  more 
probable  than  that  the  sister  of  these  benefactors  to  the 
human  race  should  have  applied  herself  to  improve  the 
arts  which  tend  to  increase  the  comforts  and  conven- 
iences of  civil  and  social  life. 

Tubal-Cain  "was  an  instructor  of  every  artificer  in 
brass  and  iron."  Here  it  is  clear  invention  cannot  be  in- 
tended. Some  knowledge  of  the  working  of  metals  must 
have  been  previously  obtained.  Extensive  agricultural 
operations  could  not  have  been  carried  on  ;  cities  co/ild 
not  have  been  built ;  the  useful  and  elegant  arts  could 


198  TRADITIONS   OF   FREEMASONRY. 

not  have  been  brought  into  use,  without  this  knowledge. 
There  is,  therefore,  reason  for  believing  that  Tubal- 
Cain,  although  not  the  inventor,  yet,  by  devoting  his  at- 
tention to  metallurgy  and  the  useful  operative  arts  con- 
nected with  it,  made  great  and  important  discoveries, 
and  threw  open  to  all  future  laborers  in  this  department 
a  wide  field  of  knowledge  and  improvement.  But  what- 
ever was  the  precise  nature  of  the  discoveries  and  im- 
provements introduced  by  Tubal-Cain,  it  is  undoubted 
that  they  made  him  celebrated  in  his  day,  and  attached 
honorable  distinction  to  his  name  in  all  succeeding  gen- 
erations— almost  every  ancient  nation  having  preserved 
some  traditional  notice  of  his  character  and  improvements. 

Says  tradition  :  "  The  family  of  Cain  lived  in  much  fear 
of  the  rest  of  Adam's  posterity,  who  they  conjectured 
would  avenge  the  death  of  Abel  upon  them  when  a  fa- 
vorable opportunity  should  present  itself.  Lamech  was 
the  first  who  endeavored  to  remove  their  apprehensions, 
and  proposed  a  fortification  as  the  most  certain  means 
of  safety.  By  his  advice  Cain,  with  the  assistance  of 
Jabal  and  Tubal-Cain,  encompassed  his  city  of  Hanoch 
with  walls,  as  a  place  of  refuge  in  case  of  interruption 
from  the  people  around  them.  This  is  the  first  notice  we 
have  of  the  practice  of  operative  Masonry. 

Sanchoniatho,  speaking  of  Chrysor  or  Tubal-Cain 
says  :  "  And  it  is  said  that  his  brothers  invented  the  art 
of  building  walls  with  bricks."  He  further  says,  in  his 
account  of  the  eighth  generation  :  "  Of  these  were  begot- 
ten two  brothers,  who  discovered  iron  and  the  forging 
thereof.  One  of  these,  called  Chrysor,  who  is  the  same 
with  Hephasstus  exercised  himself  in  words  and  charms 
and  divinations  ;  and  he  invented  the  hook  arid  the  bait 
and  the  fishing-line  and  boats  of  light  construction,  and 


COINCIDENCES  WITH  THE   MYSTERIES.  199 

he  was  the  first  of  all  men  that  sailed.  Wherefore  he 
was  worshiped  after  his  death  as  a  god,  under  the  name 
Diamichius."  Jackson  asserts  that  Hephrestus  and  Chry- 
sor  are  words — the  one  a  Phoenician  and  the  other  a 
Chaldee — signifying  "  fire.'7  Chrys-or  is  "  an  artificer 
in  fire,"  and  Hephcestus  is  "  the  father  or  inventor  of 
fire."  These  were  the  characteristics  of  Yulcan,  and  it 
is  probable  that  Tubal-Cain  and  Yulcan  were  the  same 
personages,  not  only  because  of  their  similar  characteris- 
tics, but  from  the  name,  which,  by  the  omission  of  the  Tu, 
and  turning  b  into  v — a  change  frequently  made  among 
the  Hebrews,  Greeks  and  Romans — makes  Val-cain  or 
Vulcan.  There  is  undoubted  reference  made  to  Tubal- 
Cain  in  the  appellation  Diamichius,  or  Dia-michion,  de- 
rived from  the  Hebrew  word  if; ft  Mahhi,  Machina,  the 
great  engineer,  or  "  the  god  of  engines." 

Tradition  says  :  "  In  the  fourth  century  of  the  world, 
a  great-grandson  of  Cain  projected  the  design  of  cross- 
ing rivers  by  means  of  rafts.  His  first  effort  was  simply 
to  fell  a  tree,  lop  its  branches,  and  cast  the  trunk  into  the 
water,  on  which  he  committed  himself  to  the  mercy  of 
the  waves  and  currents.  This  rude  and  dangerous  navi 
gation  was  improved  by  Tubal-Cain,  who  invented  the 
ax  and  other  iron  tools.  He  constructed  a  slight  boat 
or  canoe  for  the  purpose  of  fishing,  and  was  the  first  man 
who  actually  sailed. 

In  confirmation  of  the  traditions  that  Tubal-Cain  was 
the  inventor  of  the  ax  and  other  iron  tools,  the  original 
expression  in  Genesis  may  read,  "  who  was  the  maker  of 
every  cutting  instrument  in  brass  and  iron."  This  con- 
firms also  the  views  heretofore  expressed  that  he  did  not 
invent  smith-craft  but  improved  it. 

Tubal-Cain  or  Yulcan  was  the  first  instance  of  a  mor- 


200  TRADITIONS   OF   FREEMASONRY. 

tal  being  deified,  and  it  took  place  in  the  eighth  genera- 
tion from  Adam.  To  this  god  the  Egyptians  afterward 
assigned  the  attributes  of  prescience,  power  and  un- 
limited duration  or  immortality.  While  the  reign  of 
other  gods  was  confined  within  certain  and  specific 
limits,  the  reign  of  Yulcan  was  declared  without  end. 

The  Rabbins  have  a  tradition  that  Lamech,  being  blind, 
took  his  son  Tubal-Cain  to  hunt  with  him  in  the  woods. 
Here  they  met  with  Cain,  who  used  to  lurk. in  the  thick- 
ets for  fear  he  should  meet  with  any  one  who  should  re- 
venge the  murder  of  his  brother.  They  say  further,  that 
on  a  certain  day  Tubal-Cain,  hearing  a  rustling  in  one  of 
the  bushes,  supposed  it  to  be  occasioned  by  an  animal  of 
chase,  and  directing  Lamech  to  shoot,  he  killed  Cain  by 
wounding  him  with  the  arrow.  Afterward,  when  he 
found  what  had  happened,  he  beat  Tubal-Cain  to  death." 

The  sacred  writings  and  traditions  ascribe  the  corrup- 
tions of  man  to  the  wicked  descendants  of  Cain.  The 
Book  of  Enoch  says  that  "  Azazyel,  one  of  the  apostate 
angels,  taught  men  to  make  swords,  knives,  shields, 
breast-plates,  the  fabrication  of  brazen  mirrors,  and  the 
workmanship  of  bracelets  and  ornaments,  the  use  of 
paints,  the  beautifying  of  .the  eyebrows,  the  use  of  stones 
of  every  valuable  and  select  kind,  and  all  sorts  of  dyes, 
so  that  the  world  became  altered.  And  therefore  God 
said,  all  the  earth  has  become  corrupted  by  the  teachings 
of  Azazyel." 

A  Mahommedan  tradition  says  that  "  among  the  sons 
of  Kabeil  (Cain)  there  was  one  whose  name  was  Tubal, 
more  than  all  the  others  addicted  to  pleasure,  in  which 
he  permitted  himself  to  indulge  to  a  degree  which  sur- 
passed all  bounds  of  moderation.  It  was  this  sensualist 
that  Eblis  (the  Devil)  selected  to  instruct  in  the  method 


COINCIDENCES  WITH  THE   MYSTERIES.  201 

of  expressing  the  juice  of  the  grape,  and  of  employing  it 
as  a  grateful  and  pernicious  beverage.  The  discovery 
was  immediately  communicated  to  his  family,  who  be- 
came thus  easily  initiated  in  the  most  degrading  species 
of  intemperance.  Eblis  further  suggested  to  Tubal  the 
invention  of  the  barbut  or  lute  and  other  musical  instru- 
ments, on  which  he  taught  them  to  play ;  and  thus  the 
pleasures  of  wine  and  music  became  the  principal  occu- 
pation of  the  children  of  Cain." 

Josephus  says  that  Tubal- Cain  exceeded  all  men  in 
strength,  and  was  renowned  for  his  warlike  achievements. 

The  Hemming  ritual,  alluding  to  Tubal-Cain,  has  the 
following  : 

"  What  does  it  denote  ?  Worldly  possessions."  This 
symbolic  application  of  his  name  is  deduced  from  its  ety- 
mology in  the  Hebrew  language,  where  it  is  derived  from 
riDDD  b^in  tebel  caneh,  two  words  signifying  the  posses- 
sions of  the  earth. 

Freemasons  find  in  many  of  their  ceremonies  and  alle- 
gories remarkable  coincidences  with  the  ceremonials  of 
the  Hebrew  religion  ;  and  as  such  coincidences  cannot  be 
accidental,  they  go  far  to  prove  the  antiquity  of  the  or- 
der. The  origin  of  some  of  the  allegories  used  in  Ma- 
sonry dates  so  far  back  that  their  true  interpretation  has 
been  lost  in  the  gloom  of  primordial  time.  Among  such 
is  the  airegorical  allusion  to  the  offering  of  sacrifices,  and 
the  ceremony  in  confirmation  of  a  covenant.  This  latter 
is  alluded  to  but  twice  in  the  sacred  writings,  first  in 
Genesis  xv.  8-10  and  17  and  18,  in  the  account  of  a 
covenant  made  by  God  with  Abraham.  "  And  he  said, 
Lord  God,  whereby  shall  I  know  that  I  shall  inherit  it  ? 
And  he  said  unto  him,  Take  me  an  heifer  of  three  years 
old.  and  a  she-goat  of  three  years  old,  and  a  ram  of  three 
9* 


202  TRADITIONS   OF   FREEMASONRY. 

years  old,  and  a  turtle-dove,  and  a  young  pigeon.  And 
he  took  unto  him  all  these,  and  divided  them  in  the  midst, 
and  laid  each  piece  one  against  another  ;  but  the  birds 
divided  he  not.'7 

"  And  it  came  to  pass,  that,  when  the  sun  went  down, 
and  it  was  dark,  behold  a  smoking  furnace,  and  a  buro- 
ing  lamp  that  passed  between  those  pieces.  In  that  same 
day  the  Lord  made  a  covenant  with  Abraham,  saying, 
Unto  thy  seed  have  I  given  this  land,  from  the  river  of 
Egypt  unto  the  great  river,  the  river  of  Euphrates." 

Making  a  covenant  was  a  solemn  binding  of  each  other 
to  the  performance  of  a  mutual  promise  by  outward  cere- 
monies, of  cutting  a  beast  in  twain  and  passing  between 
the  parts  thereof,  as  if  they  would  say  :  Thus  let  it  be 
done  to  him,  and  thus  let  his  body  be  cut  in  two  who  shall 
break  this  covenant. 

The  second  is  in  Jeremiah,  in  which  the  prophet  de- 
nounces the  curse  of  the  Lord  upon  the  princes  and  rulers 
who  have  broken  the  covenant  which  they  had  made 
with  King  Zedekiah,  and  may  be  regarded  as  an  answer 
to  a  question  which  is  frequently  asked  by  young  Masons. 
It  is  found  in  Jeremiah  xxxiv.  18,  20,  as  follows  :  "  And 
I  will  give  the  men  that  have  transgressed  my  covenant, 
which  have  not  performed  the  words  of  the  covenant 
which  they  had  made  before  me,  when  they  cut  the  calf 

in  twain,  and  passed  between  the  parts  thereof. I 

will  even  give  them  into  the  hand  of  their  enemies,  and 
into  the  hand  of  them  that  seek  their  life  ;  and  their  dead 
bodies  shall  be  for  meat  unto  the  fowls  of  the  heaven,  and 
to  the  beasts  of  the  earth." 

After  an  animal  had  been  selected  for  sacrifice  his 
throat  ivas  cut  across  with  one  single  blow,  so  as  to  divide 
the  windpipe,  arteries  an  \  veins,  without  touching  any 


COINCIDENCES   WITH   THE   MYSTERIES.  203 

bone.  The  next  ceremony  was  to  tear  the  breast  open  and 
pluck  out  tlie  heart,  and  if  there  was  the  least  imperfec- 
tion, the  body  would  be  considered  unclean,  and  thrown 
over  the  wall  into  the  (after  the  erection  of  the  temple) 
Valley  of  Jehoshaphat.  -But  if  no  imperfections  were 
found,  the  animal  was  then  divided  into  two  parts, 
and  placed  north  and  south,  that  the  parties  to  the  cove- 
nant might  pass  between  them  from  east  to  west.  In  the 
case  of  Abraham,  recorded  in  Genesis,  he  saw  in  a  vision 
the  ratification  of  the  covenant  by  the  Shekinah  passing 
between  the  pieces  like  a  lamp  of  fire.  The  dividing  of 
the  beast  in  twain  was  peculiar  to  a  covenant,  but  the 
mode  of  killing  was  common  to  all  sacrifices,  and  also  of 
such  as  were  used  for  food. 

The  memory  of  a  great  and  good  man  was,  in  ancient 
times,  celebrated  with  a  splendid  funeral,  and  a  tumulus 
of  extraordinary  magnitude,  surmounted  by  a  pillar  on 
which  the  name  and  good  qualities  of  the  deceased  were 
usually  inscribed,  while  criminals  or  perjured  persons 
were  denied  the  rights  of  sepulture  :  and  as  a  mark  of 
disgrace  and  infamy,  their  bodies  were  cast  into  the 
ground  unburnt,  and  thus  exposed  to  putrefaction,  a  calam- 
ity more  dreaded  than  death  itself,  their  bowels  being 
first  taken  out  and  burnt,  and  the  ashes  scattered  to  the 
four  winds  of  heaven. 

Sophocles  in  his  tragedy  of  Antigone  has  the  fol- 
lowing : 

"  Curses  attend  you  if  e'er  false  you  prove ; 
Your  days  in  bitter  sorrows  may  you  live, 
And  when  Fate  calls,  (but  may  that  lingering  come !) 
May  your  dead  corpse  no  Jit  interment  find" 

One  of  the  teachings  of  Masonry  is  that,  to  the  just 
and  virtuous  man,  death  has  no  terrors  equal  to  the  stain 


204  TRADITIONS   OF    FREEMASONRY 

of  falsehood  and  dishonor.  The  allegory  in  which  this 
sublime  inculcation  is  clothed  is  prefaced  by  repeating  the 
first  seven  verses  of  the  twelfth  chapter  of  Ecclesiastes. 

Thousands  doubtless  have  read,  or  heard  read,  the 
passage  of  Scripture  alluded  to  without  having  reflected 
on  its  extraordinary  beauty  as  an  allegory,  or  its  pecu- 
liar adaptation  to  the  moral  lessons  intended  to  be  con- 
veyed  by  the  ceremonial  of  which  it  forms  so  striking  an 
introduction.  The  proper  comprehension  of  the  meta- 
phors which  it  contains  is  also  attended  with  some  diffi- 
culty, but  we  will  venture  to  say  that  the  Mason  who 
thoroughly  understands  its  Signification,  and  sees  its  inti- 
mate relation  to  the  symbolic  meaning  of  the  degree  in 
which  it  is  used,  must  listen  to  it  with  feelings  far  differ- 
ent from  those  which  affect  the  one  who  hears  it  only  as 
an  ordinary  and  inapplicable  fragment  of  the  sacred 
writings. 

The  passage  is  a  beautiful  and  affecting  description 
of  the  body  of  man  when  suffering  under  the  infirmities 
of  old  age,  and  this  body  is  metaphorically  described  as 
a  house.  Commencing  with  an  appeal  to  the  candidate 
to  remember  and  practice  in  his  youth  the  duties  which 
he  owes  to  his  Maker,  and  which  duties  have  already,  in 
the  masonic  ritual,  been  detailed  in  the  preceding  de- 
grees, it  goes  on  to  describe  the  first  signs  of  old  age, 
when  the  beautiful  scenery  of  the  universe  will  no  longer 
appear  in  that  joyous  splendor  which  belongs  only  to 
youth  to  behold,  and  when  sorrow  shall  be  heaped  upon 
sorrow,  as  "  the  clouds  return  after  the  rain." 

The  keepers  of  the  house  are  the  shoulders,  arms  and 
hands  ;  shall  tremble — the  means  of  averting  danger,  be- 
cause of  old  age,  shall  become  paralytic. 

The  grinders  shall  cease  because  they  are  few.     The  teeth 


COINCIDENCES  WITH  THE  MYSTERIES.  205 

which  grind  the  food,  as  the  millstone  grinds  the  corn, 
shall  become  loose  and  fall  out. 

Those  that  look  out  of  the  windows  be  darkened.  The 
windows  are  the  two  eyes  ;  they  shall  lose  their  faculty 
of  sight.  Obscurity  of  vision  is  an  invariable  accom- 
paniment of  extreme  old  age. 

The  doors  shall  be  shut  in  the  streets,  luhen  the  sound  of 
the  grinding  is  low.  The  doors  are  the  lips  ;  the  streets 
are  the  mouth,  because  it  is  the  way  by  which  the  food 
passes  into  the  stomach,  and  the  sound  of  the  grinding 
is  the  noise  of  the  voice.  The  meaning  of  the  expression 
is,  that  the  teeth  being  gone,  the  old  man  no  longer 
chews,  but  noiselessly  mumbles  his  food,  and  closes  his 
lips  in  the  act,  to  prevent  the  particles  from  falling  out. 
This  is  the  usual  mode  of  mastication  in  the  very  aged. 

And  he  shall  rise  up  at  the  voice  of  the  bird.  The 
voice  of  the  bird  is  the  crowing  of  the  cock.  So  great 
is  the  wakefulness  of  old  age  that  its  sleep  is  disturbed 
even  by  the  crowing  of  the  cock. 

And  all  the  daughters  of  music  shall  be  brought  low. 
The  daughters  of  music  are  the  two  ears.  The  voice 
becomes  tremulous  and  feeble,  and  the  hearing  becomes 
obtuse.  "  The  daughters  of  music"  is  a  Hebraism  for 
the  voice  and  the  ear,  the  organs  used  in  the  production 
or  enjoyment  of  musical  sound.  So  the  arrow  is  called 
"  the  daughter  of  bow"  by  Isaiah. 

They  shall  be,  afraid  of  that  which  is  high.  Those 
heights  which  in  the  days  of  their  youth  they  would 
have  ascended  with  ease  and  alacrity,  the  aged  now  look 
upon  with  hesitation  and  fear. 

And  fears  shall  be  in  the  way.  They  are  filled  with 
the  apprehension  of  imaginary  dangers,  which  they  have 
neither  the  sight  to  avoid  nor  the  strength  to  overcome* 


206  TRADITIONS  OP  FREEMASONRY. 

The  almond  tree  shall  flourish.  The  hair  shall  become 
gray.  The  flowers  of  the  almond  tree  are  white,  and 
hence,  when  the  tree  is  flourishing  and  full  of  them,  it  is 
compared  to  the  hoary  head  of  age. 

The  grasshopper  shall  be  a  burden.  To  the  imbecility 
of  old  age  the  lightest  thing,  even  a  grasshopper,  be- 
comes an  oppressive  burden. 

And  desire  shall  fail.  The  appetites  and  desires  of 
nature  cease  with  the  departure  of  youth. 

Man  goeth  to  his  long  home.  Literally  "  to  the  house 
of  his  age,"  the  grave,  which  is  the  last  house  and  shelter 
for  the  material  body. 

The  mourners  go  about  the  streets.  This  refers  to  the 
Eastern  custom  of  employing  official  mourners,  who  made 
public  lamentation  in  the  streets  for  the  dead.  This 
passage  is  also  explained  as  alluding  to  the  rattles  in 
the  throat,  the  mouth  and  throat  being  considered  as  the 
street  or  road  of  the  food,  and  the  rattles  being  called 
the  mourners  because  they  are  sure  precursors  of  death. 

The  silver  cord  be  loosed.  The  silver  cord  by  some  is  said 
to  be  the  string  of  the  tongue  ;  by  others  the  spinal  mar- 
row, because  of  its  silvery  whiteness.  The  loosening  of 
the  silver  cord  is  the  cessation  of  all  nervous  sensibility. 

The  golden  bowl  be  ~bro~ken.  The  brain  is  called  the 
golden  bowl,  from  its  yellow  color.  Death  approaching, 
it  is  rendered  unfit  to  perform  its  functions. 

The  pitcher  be  broken  at  the  fountain.  The  pitcher 
means  the  vena  cava  or  great  vein,  which  carries  the 
blood  to  the  right  ventricle  of  the  heart,  here  called  the 
fountain. 

The  wheel  broken  at  the  cistern.  By  the  wheel  is 
meant  the  aorta  or  great  artery,  which,  receiving  its 
blood  from  the  left  ventricle  of  the  heart  or  cistern,  dis- 


COINCIDENCES  WITH  THE  MYSTERIES.  207 

tributes  it  throughout  the  body.  These  two  last  expres- 
sions, the  breaking  of  the  pitcher  and  the  wheel,  allude 
to  the  stoppage  of  the  circulation  of  the  blood,  the  last 
step  in  the  decay,  which  is  immediately  followed  by 
death.  And  then,  in  the  concluding  words  of  the 
preacher,  "  Shall  the  dust  return  to  the  earth  as  it  was, 
and  the  spirit  shall  return  unto  God  who  gave  it." 

Commentators  generally  concur  in  the  foregoing  ex- 
position of  that  beautiful  allegory,  the  incorporation  of 
which  into  the  masonic  ritual  is  one  among  the  numerous 
evidences  that  the  institution  does  and  always  has  incul- 
cated the  dogmas  of  resurrection  and  immortality.  Such 
of  our  readers  who  have  not  heretofore  read  the  exposi- 
tion of  "  this  affecting,  yet  elegant  and  spirited  descrip- 
tion of  old  age  and  death,"  will  now  readily  perceive 
how  peculiarly  appropriate  is  such  an  introduction  to  the 
sublime  and  awful  ceremonies  of  that  degree  in  which 
death,  the  resurrection  and  life  eternal  are  the  topics, 
and  of  which  the  spade,  the  coffin  and  the  sprig  of  acacia 
are  the  symbols. 

In  all  the  ancient  systems  of  religion  and  mysteries 
of  initiation  there  was  always  some  one  plant  consecrated 
in  the  minds  of  the  worshipers  and  participants  by  a 
peculiar  symbolism,  and  therefore  held  in  extraordinary 
veneration  as  a  sacred  emblem.  Thus  the  ivy  was  used 
in  the  mysteries  of  Dionysius,  the  myrtle  in  those  of 
Ceres,  the  erica  or  heath  in  the  Osirian,  the  lettuce  in 
the  Adonisian,  the  mistletoe  in  the  Celtic,  and  the  lotus 
or  water  lily  in  those  of  India  and  Egypt.  The  coinci- 
dent symbol  of  Freemasons  is  the  cassia  or  acacia. 

In  the  mysteries  of  Adonis,  which  originated  in  Phoe- 
nicia, and  were  afterward  transferred  to  Greece,  the 
death  and  resurrection  of  Adonis  was  represented.  A 


208  TRADITIONS   OF   FREEMASONRY. 

part  of  the  legend  representing  these  mysteries  was,  that 
when  Adonis  was  slain  by  a  wild  boar,  Yenus  laid  out 
the  body  on  a  bed  of  lettuce.  In  memorial  of  this  sup- 
posed fact,  on  the  first  day  of  the  celebration  when 
funeral  rites  were  performed,  'lettuces  were  carried  in 
the  procession  newly  planted  in  shells  of  earth.  Hence 
the  lettuce  became  the  sacred  plant  of  the  Adonia  or 
Adonisian  mysteries. 

The  lotus  was  the  sacred  plant  of  the  Brahminical 
rites  of  India,  and  was  considered  as  the  symbol  of  their 
elemental  trinity — earth,  water  and  air  ;  because,  as  an 
aquatic  plant,  it  derived  its  nutriment  from  all  of  these 
elements  combined — its  roots  being  planted  in  the  earth, 
its  stem  rising  through  the  water,  and  its  leaves  exposed 
to  the  air.  The  Egyptians  who  borrowed  a  large  portion 
of  their  religious  rites  from  the  East,  adopted  the  lotus, 
which  was  also  indigenous  to  their  country,  as  a  mystical 
plant,  and  made  it  the  symbol  of  their  initiation,  or  the 
birth  into  celestial  light.  The  lotus  bears  a  flower  simi- 
lar to  that  of  the  poppy,  while  its  large  tongue-shaped 
leaves  float  upon  the  surface  of  the  water.  As  the 
Egyptians  had  remarked  that  the  plant  expands  when 
the  sun  rises  and  closes  when  it  sets,  they  adopted  it  as  a 
symbol  of  the  sun  ;  and  as  that  luminary  was  the  princi- 
pal object  of  the  popular  worship,  the  lotus  became  in  all 
their  sacred  rites  a  consecrated  and  mystical  plant. 

In  the  Osirian  mysteries  the  erica  or  heath  was  the 
sacred  plant  The  legend  of  which  related  that  Isis, 
when  in  search  of  the  body  of  her  murdered  husband, 
Osiris,  discovered  it  interred  at  the  brow  of  a  hill  near 
which  an  erica  or  heath-plant  grew  ;  and  hence,  after  the 
recovery  of  the  body,  and  the  resurrection  of  the  god, 
when  she  established  the  mysteries  to  commemorate  her 


COINCIDENCES   WITH  THE  MYSTERIES.  209 

loss  and  her  recovery,  she  adopted  the  erica  as  a  sacred 
plant,  in  memory  of  its  having  pointed  out  the  spot 
where  the  mangled  remains  of  Osiris  were  concealed. 

The  mistletoe  was  the  sacred  plant  of  the  Celtic  mys- 
teries. Its  consecrated  character  was  derived  from 
two  sources.  One  from  a  legend  of  the  Scandinavian 
mythology,  which  is  thus  related  in  the  Edda  or  Sacred 
Books  of  the  Druids.  The  god  Balder,  the  son  of  Odin, 
having  dreamed  that  he  was  in  some  great  danger  of 
his  life,  his  mother,  Frigra,  exacted  an  oath  from  all  the 
creatures  of  the  animal,  the  vegetable  and  the  mineral 
kingdoms,  that  they  would  do  no  harm  to  her  son.  The 
mistletoe,  contemptible  from  its  size  and  weakness,  was 
alone  neglected,  and  of  it  no  oath  of  immunity  was  de- 
manded. Lok,  the  evil  genius  or  god  of  darkness,  be- 
coming acquainted  with  this  fact,  placed  an  arrow  made 
of  mistletoe  in  the  hands  of  Holder,  the  blind  brother  of 
Balder,  on  a  certain  day  when  the  gods  were  throwing 
missiles  at  him  in  sport,  wondering  at  their  inability  to 
do  him  injury  with  any  arms  with  which  they  could  at- 
tack him  ;  but  being  shot  with  the  mistletoe  arrow,  it  in- 
flicted a  fatal  wound  and  Balder  died. 

Another  reason  for  the  sacred  character  with  which 
the  mistletoe  was  invested  by  the  Druids  was,  their  ven- 
eration for  the  number  three.  The  berries  and  leaves 
of  this  plant  or  vine  grow  in  clusters  of  three  united  on 
one  stalk.  It  was  accounted  a  profanation  to  touch  it 
with  the  fingers,  and  the  ceremonies  used  in  gathering 
this  mysterious  plant  were  of  a  nature  calculated  to  in- 
fuse a  sacred  reverence  deeply  into  the  mind,  and  when 
plucked  and  ritually  consecrated,  it  was  reputed  to  pos- 
sess every  sanitive  virtue,  and  was  hence  dignified  with 
the  appellation  of  All  Heal. 


210  TRADITIONS  OF  FREEMASONRY. 

The  myrtle  performed  the  same  office  of  symbolism  in 
the  mysteries  of  Greece  as  the  lotus  did  in  India  and 
Egypt  and  the  mistletoe  in  the  Celtic  mysteries.  The 
candidate  in  these  initiations  was  crowned  with  myrtle, 
because,  according  to  the  popular  theology,  the  myrtle 
was  sacred  to  Proserpine,  the  goddess  of  the  future  life. 

The  legend  of  the  voyage  of  JSneas  to  the  infernal 
regions  in  search  of  his  father,  is  now  universally  admit- 
ted to  be  a  mythical  representation  of  the  ceremonies  of 
initiation  in  the  Elusinian  mysteries.  The  legend  is 
contained  in  the  Sixth  Book  of  Virgil,  ^Eneid.  A  part 
of  the  legend  is,  that  Anchises  had  been  dead  for  some 
time,  and  JEneas,  his  son,  professed  so  much  duty  to  his 
departed  father,  that  he  consulted  with  the  Cumaean 
sibyl  whether  it  were  possible  for  him  to  descend  into 
the  shades  Mow  in  order  to  speak  with  him.  The 
prophetess  encouraged  him  to  go,  but  told  him  he  could 
not  succeed  unless  he  went  into  a  certain  place  and 
plucked  a  golden  lough  or  shrub,  which'  he  should  carry 
in  his  hand,  and  by  that  means  obtain  directions  where 
he  should  find  his  father.  Here  the  shrub  constituted  a 
symbol  of  protection. 

Ancient  writers,  from  Herodotus  down,  notice  the  cus- 
tom of  marking  graves  with  an  evergreen,  and  also  the 
custom  of  the  mourners  carrying  an  evergreen  in  the 
hands  in  funeral  procession,  and  depositing  it  in  the  grave. 

Among  the  Jews  the  priests  were  prohibited  from 
crossing  a  grave,  as  it  rendered  them  unclean,  and  they 
could  not  officiate  in  the  tabernacle  or  temple  worship 
until  they  had  gone  through  a  long  course  of  purification. 
It  was  therefore  necessary  that  graves  should  be  marked 
that  the  priests  might  avoid  them,  and  for  this  purpose 
an  evergreen  was  used.  Those  who  bestowed  a  marble 


COINCIDENCES   WITH   THE   MYSTERIES.  211 

stone  upon  a  grave  caused  a  hole  to  be  dug  about  a  yard 
long,  and  a  foot  broad,  in  which  they  planted  an  evergreen, 
which  seemed  to  grow  out  of  the  body. 

There  is  a  Rabbinical  tradition  which  says  that  Adam, 
being  sick  and  fearing  death,  sent  his  son  Seth  to  the  ' 
angel  who  guarded  Paradise  with  an  earnest  request  for 
a  branch  of  the  tree  of  life,  thinking  that  if  obtained 
he  mig&t  by  its  means  escape  the  dreadful  effects  of  his 
sins.  Seth  obtained  the  bough,  and  the  angel  who  gave 
it  to  him  told  him  that  what  had  been  appointed  should 
be  fulfilled.  During  his  absence  Adam  died  and  was 
buried  ;  and  Seth  planted  the  branch  upon  his  grave, 
where  it  took  root  and  became  a  great  tree.  The  tree 
was  planted  upon  Lebanon,  and  was  of  such  an  extraordi- 
nary nature  that  it  was  at  once  palm,  cypress  and  cedar, 
typical  of  victory,  death  and  eternity. 

Another  tradition  which  illustrates  the  same  idea  is 
related  by  Sir  John  Mandeville  :  "  That  Adam  was  seek, 
and  sayd  to  his  sone  Sethe,  that  he  scholde  go  to  the  aun- 
gelle  that  kept  Paradys,  that  he  wolde  senden  hym  oyle 
of  mercy,  for  to  anoynte  his  membres  with,  that  he  might 
ham  hele.  And  Sethe  wente.  But  the  aungelle  wolde 
not  late  him  come  in  ;  but  seyed  to  him  that  he  migghte 
not  have  the  oyle  of  mercy.  But  he  toke  him  three 
greynes  of  the  same  tree  that  his  fadre  eet  the  appulle 
offe,  and  bad  him,  als  sone  as  his  fadre  was  ded,  that  he 
sholde  putte  theise  three  greynes  under  his  tongue,  and 
grave  him  so  ;  and  he  dide.  And  of  theise  three  greynes 
sprong  a  tree,  as  the  aungelle  seyde  that  it  scholde,  and 
bere  a  fruyt,  throghe  the  whiche  fruyt  Adam  scholde  be 
saved.  And  whan  Sethe  came  agen,  he  fonde  his  fadre 
nere  ded.  And  whan  he  was  ded,  he  did  with  the  greynes 
as  the  aungelle  bad  him  ;  of  the  whiche  sprongen  three 


212  TRADITIONS   OF   FREEMASONRY. 

trees,  of  the  wliiche  the  crosse  was  made,  that  bare  gode 
fruyt  and  blessed,  otire  Lorde  Jesu  Crist ;  throghe  whome 
Adam  and  all  that  comen  of  him  scholde  be  saved,  and 
delyvered  from  drede  of  dethe  withouten  ende,  but  it  be 
there  own  defaute." 

There  is  some  difficulty  in  assigning  the  true  reason 
why  a  sprig  of  acacia  or  cassia  was  introduced  into  the 
system  of  Freemasonry,  and  also  as  to  the  name  of  the 
shrub  or  tree  from  which  the  sprig  was  taken.  Masonic 
writers  are  not  agreed  in  either  particular.  One  fact  is 
admitted,  that  the  masonic  sprig  is  a  substitute  for  the 
lotus,  the  erica,  the  ivy,  the  myrtle,  the  mistletoe,  etc.,  the 
sacred  plant  of  the  Ancient  Mysteries. 

The  lessons  of  wisdom  symbolized  by  them  are  the 
same  ;  the  medium  of  imparting  it  is  all  that  has  been 
changed.  The  sacred  plants  named  were  susceptible  of 
three  explanations  in  the  various  systems  in  which  they 
were  used  as  symbols  of  immortality*  of  innocence  and  of 
initiation.  These  three  significations  are  closely  con- 
nected, and  each  of  the  three  are  regarded  by  different 
masonic  writers  as  the  true  exposition  of  the  masonic 
symbol. 

There  can  be  no  doubt  but  that  all  these  plants  held 
sacred  by  the  ancients  had  a  common  origin  in  some  an- 
cient and  general  symbolic  idea.  Was  it  the  branch 
brought  by  the  dove  to  Noah  in  the  Ark  ? 

In  the  English  rituals  the  plant  is  called  "  cassia,"  but 
high  masonic  authority  in  the  United  States  (Dr.  A.  G. 
Mackey),  asserts  this  to  be  an  incorrect  spelling  of  the 
name  of  the  plant,  and  defines  it  to  be  the  "  acacia," 
which  latter  is  the  word  generally  used  in  the  American 
rituals.  It  is  not  our  purpose  to  attempt  to  reform  rituals, 
or  decide  disputed  points,  contented  with  giving  the  dif- 


COINCIDENCES  WITH   THE   MYSTERIES.  213 

ferent  versions  of  the  story,  and  leaving  our  readers  to 
draw  their  own  conclusions. 

The  acacia,  mimosa  nilotica  of  Linnaeus,  or  Egyptian 
thorn,  is  a  perennial,  with  red  branches  and  spires  rising 
often  to  the  height  of  twenty  feet,  and  produces  the  gum 
arabic  of  the  shops.  "  It  would  seem  to  be  an  insuperable 
objection  to  the  claim  of  this  tree  to  be  the  masonic,  cas- 
sia that  it  is  a  native  of  the  sandy  deserts  of  Africa, 
Arabia  and  the  contiguous  parts  of  Asia,  and  would 
scarcely  be  found  growing  on  the  limestone  rocks  of  Mount 
Moriah.  No  mention  is  made  of  its  thorny  character  in 
any  masonic  tradition,  nor  is  it  likely  that  a  tree  twenty 
feet  high  would  have  been  resorted  to  at  midnight  for 
the  object  mentioned  in  the  legend,  while  the  scanty  earth 
around  was  covered  with  shrubs  equally  suitable  for  the 
purpose. 

"  Although  it  would  seem  that  the  conjecture  of  the  aca- 
cia being  the  masonic  plant  is  open  to  doubt,  it  is  not 
by  any  means  certain  that  any  other  plant  can  be  con- 
clusively established  as  the  symbol  in  question."  (Rock- 
well.) 

"  Moreover,  though  I  am  quite  willing  to  allow  that 
the  shittim  wood  is  a  species  of  acacia  (whether  the  vcra 
horrida  or  aribica  it  is  difficult  to  say,  as  they  all  grow 
in  Arabia  as  well  as  in  the  north  of  Africa),  still  there  is 
not  the  smallest  trace  of  any  tree  of  the  kind  growing  so 
far  north  as  Jerusalem. 

"  It  seems  clear  that  if  a  real  plant  was  used,  as  we  say 
in  the  legend,  it  must  have  been  an  evergreen.  I  have 
said  that  the  cassia  was  not  a  native  of  Palestine,  nor 
even  cultivated  there  ;  but  there  is  a  species  of  laurel 
which  is  called  cassia,  and  is  an  evergreen.  This  grows 
in  Palestine.  The  laurel  was  sacred  to  Apollo  or  the 


214  TRADITIONS    OF    FREEMASONRY. 

sun,  whose  astronomical  death  is  alluded  to  in  the  mys- 
teries ;  and  it  is  perhaps  in  this  way  that  we  may  com® 
to  a  satisfactory  conclusion  respecting  the  introduction 
of  the  word  "  cassia/  corrupted  since  the  Christian  era, 
nay,  since  1730,  into  acacia."  (Oliver.) 

"It  is  a  very  great  error  to  designate  the  symbolic 
plant  of  Masonry  by  the  name  of  l  cassia/  an  error  which 
undoubtedly  arose,  originally,  from  the  very  common 
habit  among  illiterate  people  of  sinking  the  sound  of  the 
letter  a  in  the  pronunciation  of  any  word  of  which  it 
constitutes  the  initial  syllable.  Just,  for  instance,  as  we 
constantly  hear  in  the  conversation  of  the  uneducated, 
the  words  pothecary  and  prentice  for  apothecary  and  ap- 
prentice, will  we  also  find  cassia  used  for  acacia.  Unfor- 
tunately, however,  this  corruption  of  acacia  into  cassia 
has  not  always  been  confined  to  the  illiterate  ;  but  the 
long  employment  of  the  corrupted  form  has  at  length  in- 
troduced it,  in  some  instances,  among  a  few  of  our  writers. 
Even  the  venerable  Oliver,  although  well  acquainted  with 
the  symbolism  of  the  acacia,  and  having  written  most 
learnedly  upon  it,  has  at  times  allowed  himself  to  use  the 
objectionable  corruption,  unwittingly  influenced,  in  all 
probability  by  the  too  frequent  adoption  of  the  latter 
word  in  the  English  lodges.  In  America,  but  few  Ma- 
sons fall  into  the  error  of  speaking  of  the  cassia.  The 
proper  teaching  of  the  acacia  is  here  well  understood. 
Oliver,  it  is  true,  says  that  there  is  not  the  smallest  trace 
of  any  tree  of  the  kind  growing  so  far  north  as  Jerusa- 
lem ;  but  this  statement  is  refuted  by  Lieutenant  Lynch, 
who  saw  it  growing  in  great  abundance  at  Jericho,  and 
still  further  north,"  (Mackey.) 

The  word  cassia  is  mentioned  three   times  in   the 
Scriptures,  Exodus  xxx.  24,  Ezekiel  xxvii.  19,  and  Psalms 


COINCIDENCES  WITH  THE  MYSTERIES.  215 

xlv.  8  ;  in  each  case  the  reference  is  to  an  aromatic  plant 
which  formed  a  constituent  portion  of  some  perfume. 
Frequent  reference  is  made  to  the  sliittah  or  shittim 
wood  ;  it  was  esteemed  sacred  by  the  Hebrews.  The 
Rabbi  Joseph  Schwarz  says  :  "  The  acacia  (shittim)  tree, 
al  sunt,  is  found  in  Palestine  of  different  varieties ;  it 
looks  like  the  mulberry  tree,  attains  a  great  height,  and 
has  a  hard  wood.  The  gum  which  is  obtained  from  it  is 
the  gum  arabic  of  commerce." 

Calmet,  Parkhurst,  Gesenius,  Clark,  Shaw  and  all 
the  best  authorities  concur  in  saying  that  the  otzi  shittim, 
or  shittim  wood  of  Exodus,  was  the  common  acacia  or 
mimosa  nilotica  of  Linnasus. 

It  is  perhaps  impossible  at  this  remote  period  to  de- 
termine what  sprig,  if  any,  was  actually  used  by  the 
architects  at  the  building  of  the  temple.  The  names 
now  in  use  seem  certainly  to  have  been  introduced  a  long 
time  afterward.  It  is  probable  that  the  sprig  alluded  to 
in  the  ritual  is  a  mythological  one.  In  the  last  century 
a  phrase  like  the  following  was  used  :  "  His  tomb  was 
in  the  rubbish  and  filth  cast  forth  of  the  temple,  and 
acacia  bloomed  over  his  grave."  This  could  not  allude  to 
the  shrub  ;  because,  admitting  it  to  be  indigenous  to  the 
soil,  a  slipt  sprig  could  not  be  said  to  bloom.  It  was 
therefore  figurative  of  the  innocence  of  life,  of  the  person 
there  buried,  and  which  was  proposed  for  the  initiation 
of  the  candidate.  An  old  legend  says  "  that  twelve  Fel- 
low Crafts  carry  a  sprig  of  cassia  in  their  hands  in 
token  of  their  innocence  ;"  another,  "  that  after  making 
a  discovery  they  stuck  a  sprig  of  cassia  in  the  ground  to 
mark  the  place,  and  went  and  informed  King  Solomon." 
The  York  legend  says  that  "the  place  was  the  seaside  /•' 
the  French  say  "  it  was  on  Mount  Lebanon  ;"  another 


216  TRADITIONS   OF  'FREEMASONRY. 

that "  it  was  near  Jerusalem  ;"  and  still  another,  that 
"it  was  on  a  small  hill  west  of  Mount  Moriah ;"  and 
yet  another,  that  "  it  was  on  Mount  Calvary." 

The  Hebrew  word  which  in  Psalms  is  rendered  "  cas- 
sia" is  derived  from  "j^p,  "  to  cut  short,"  "  to  cut  off." 
With  this  view  of  the  meaning  of  the  term  cassia  its  ma- 
sonic application  is  apparent  and  peculiar,  and  its  sym- 
bolic coincidence  with  that  portion  of  the  legend  in 
which  it  first  made  its  appearance  is  obvious  at  once  to 
the  initiated. 

An  old  legend  says  "  My  name  is  cassia,"  which  is 
equivalent  to  saying,  "  I  have  been  in  the  grave  ;  I  have 
triumphed  over  it  by  rising  from  the  dead,  and  being 
regenerated  in  the  process  I  have  a  claim  to  life  ever- 
lasting." 

From  that  part  of  the  legend  of  the  voyage  of  JBneas  in 
search  of  his  father,  it  appears  that  Anchises,  the  great 
preserver  of  the  Trojan  name,  could  not  have  been  dis- 
covered but  by  the  help  of  a  bough  which  was  plucked 
with  great  ease  from  a  tree.  The  coincidence  with  the 
legend  of  the  masonic  sprig  is  sufficiently  evident  without 
quoting  further.  Again,  the  principal  cause  of  ^Eneas' 
descent  into  the  shades  was  to  inquire  of  his  father  the 
secrets  of  the  fates  which  should  some  time  be  fulfilled 
among  his  posterity.  The  occasion  of  the  brethren 
searching  so  diligently  for  their  master  was,  it  seems,  to 
receive  from  him  the  secret  word  of  Masonry,  which 
should  be  delivered  down  as  a  test  to  their  fraternity  of 
after  ages. 

Following  this  story  in  Yirgil  is  a  verse  relating  to  a 
friend  of  .^Eneas  : 

"  Prseterea  jacet  exanimum  tibi  corpus  amici, 
Heu  nescis !" 


COINCIDENCES   WITH   THE   MYSTERIES.  217 

The  body  of  your  friend  lies  near  you  dead, 
Alas,  you  know  not  how  I 

This  person  was  Misneus,  who  had  signalized  himself 
in  the  Trojan  war  alongside  of  Hector,  and  after  the  fall 
of  Troy  had  accompanied  JEneas  to  Italy  on  the  shores 
of  which  country,  near  the  city  of  Cumse,  he  was  mur- 
dered and  buried  under  a  high  hill. 

But  there  is  another  story  in  Virgil  which  presents  a 
more  striking  coincidence  than  either  of  the  others  • 
which  is  this  :  "  Priamus  king  of  Troy,  in  the  beginning 
of  the  Trojan  war,  committed  his  son,  Polydorus,  to  the 
care  of  Polymnestor  king  of  Thrace,  and  sent  with  him. 
a  great  sum  of  money ;  but  after  Troy  was  taken,  the 
Thracian,  for  the  sake  of  the  money,  killed  the  young 
prince  and  privately  buried  him.  ^Eneas,  coming  into 
that  country  and  accidentally  plucking  up  a  shrub  that 
was  near  to  him  on  the  side  of  a  hill,  discovered  the  mur- 
dered body  of  Polydorus. 

10 


CHAPTEE  X. 

MASTER  MASON  —  CONTINUED. 

CLEFTS  in  the  Rocks  —  Places  of  Refuge  —  Scriptural  Coincidences  —  Tra- 
dition of  the  Tomb  of  Hiram  Abif — "  Hieroglypbical  figure"  of 
Modern  Date  —  Tradition  of  the  Selection  of  a  Successor  to  Hiram — • 
Tradition  of  Queen  Elizabeth  and  the  Grand  Lodge  at  York  —  Tradition 
of  the  Killing  of  an  Apprentice  at  Lincoln  Cathedral  —  Similar  one  of 
Roslyn  Castle  —  Symbols  the  Language  of  Ancient  Theology — Lessons 
of  the  Ancient  Sages  conveyed  in  Symbols  and  Parables  —  Initiation  a 
School  in  which  was  Taught  the  Truths  of  Primitive  Revelation  —  All 
the  Ancient  Sages  were  Pupils  of  Initiation  —  Dogma  of  a  Future  State 
a  Prominent  Feature  in  the  Mysteries  —  The  Object  of  the  Mysteries  — 
Curiosity  Excited  —  Secrecy  Required  —  Mysteries  were  Funeral  in 
Character  —  Legend  of  Osiris,  Isis  and  Typhon  —  Meaning  of  the  Words 
Osiris  and  Typhon  —  Egypt  the  Great  School  of  the  Mysteries  —  Thai 
Legends  of  every  Nation  had  the  same  General  Character  —  Tradition 
of  the  Introduction  of  the  Mysteries  into  Different  Countries — 'Legends 
must  have  had  a  Common  Origin  —  Immortality  nowhere  Enunciated 
in  the  Old  Testament  —  Tradition  of  the  Quarrel  between  Cain  and  Abel 

—  Mahommedan  Tradition  of  the  Death  of  Abel  — Rabbinical  Tradition 
of  the  Burial  of  Abel  by  Adam  —  Coincidences  in  Legends  —  Theory  of 
the  Transmission  of  the  Legend  —  The  true  Intent  of  the  Mysteries  Cor- 
rupted by  the  Ancients  —  Restored  by  Solomon  —  Substitution  of  a  Tem- 
ple Legend  for  the  Egyptian  —  Was  Hiram  Abif  present  at  the  Dedica- 
tion  of  Solomon's  Temple  —  The  Masonic    Legend  Cosmopolitan  — 
Explication  of  the  Symbolic  and  Allegorical  Teachings  —  Five  Points 

—  Illustrations  of  the  Five  Points  of  Fellowship. 

THE  whole  of  Palestine  is  very  mountainous,  and  these 
mountains  abound  in  natural  caves  formed  by  the  clefts 
in  the  rocks,  which  were  anciently  places  of  refuge  for 
the  inhabitants  in  time  of  war,  and  were  often  used  as 
lurking  places  for  robbers  or  as  tombs  for  the  repose  of 
the  dead.  Frequent  allusions  are  made  in  the  Old  Tes- 
tament to  these  places  of  refuge  and  concealment,  "  Be- 
cause of  the  Midianites  the  Children  of  Israel  made  them 

(218) 


COINCIDENCES   WITH  THE   MYSTERIES.  219 

the  dens  which'  are  in  the  mountains,  and  caves,  and 
strongholds.'7  (Judges  vi.  2.)  "  When  the  men  of  Israel 
saw  that  they  were  in  a  strait  (for  the  people  were  dis- 
tressed), then  the  people  did  hide  themselves  in  caves,  and 
in  thickets,  and  in  rocks,  and  in  high  places,  and  in  pits." 
(1  st  Sam.  xiii.  6.)  It  is  therefore  strictly  in  accordance  with 
historical  and  geographical  truth  that  the  statement  in 
relation  to  the  concealment  of  certain  persons  "  in  the 
clefts  of  the  rocks"  is  made  in  the  traditions. 

In  noticing,  as  we  should  on  every  applicable  occasion, 
the  analogy  between  the  traditions  of  Freemasonry  and 
the  Scriptures,  we  shall  be  struck  by  the  illustration  of 
the  circumstances  connected  with  the  concealment  alluded 
to  afforded  by  the  second  chapter  of  the  Book  of  Isaiah. 
The  prophet  is  describing  with  his  peculiar  eloquence  the 
wickedness  of  the  people,  and  the  terror  and  consterna- 
tion with  which  the  consciousness  of  this  wickedness 
shall  inspire  them  at  the  coming  of  the  Lord,  and  he 
paints  them  as  fleeing,  in  the  extremity  of  their  fear,  to  the 
same  place  of  refuge  as  those  which  the  traditions  of 
Masonry  inform  us  were  sought  in  their  remorse  by 
the  persons  to  whom  allusion  is  made  above  :  "  They  shall 
go,"  says  Isaiah  (ii.  2  L),  "into  the  clefts  of  the  rocks,  and  into 
the  tops  of  the  ragged  rocks,  for  fear  of  the  Lord,  and  for 
the  glory  of  His  Majesty,  when  he  ariseth  to  shake  ter- 
ribly the  earth." 

In  the  Egyptian  Temple  of  Tentyra  the  ceiling  is  di- 
vided into  two  compartments,  by  a  figure  of  Isis  in  very 
high  relief.  In  one  of  them  is  the  zodiac  ;  in  the  other 
a  variety  of  boats,  with  four  or  five  human  figures  in 
each,  one  of  whom  is  in  the  act  of  spearing  a  large  egg, 
while  others  are  stamping  upon  the  victims  of  their  fury 
among  which  are  several  human  beings. 


220  TRADITIONS   OF   FREEMASONRY. 

The  walls  of  an  adjoining  room  arc  covered  with  sev- 
eral representations  of  an  individual— ^?rs£,  lyir.g  on  a 
couch  at  the  point  of  death;  then,  stretched  out  lifeless  on  a 
"bier,  and  finally  Icing  embalmed.  Masonic  readers  will 
understand  the  allusion  without  comment. 

A  tradition  recited  in  one  of  the  degrees  of  the  Ancient 
and  Accepted  Rite  says,  that  "  at  the  death  of  Hiram 
Abif,  Solomon,  being  desirous  of  paying  a  tribute  of  re- 
spect to  his  friend,  requested  Grand  Inspector  Adoniram 
to  make  arrangements  for  his  interment.  He  furnished 
a  superb  tomb  and  obelisk  of  black  and  white  marble, 
which  he  finished  in  nine  days.  The  entrance  to  the 
tomb  was  between  two  pillars  supporting  a  square  stone 
surrounded  by  three  circles,  on  which  was  engraven  the 
Hebrew  letter  i.  The  heart  was  inclosed  in  a  golden 
urn,  to  the  side  of  which  a  triangular  stone  was  fixed, 
inscribed  with  the  Hebrew  letters  i.  fo.  ^.  within  a  wreath 
of  acacia.  The  urn  was  placed  on  the  top  of  the  obelisk. 
Three  days  after  the  interment  Solomon  visited  the  tomb, 
and  with  solemn  ceremonies  in  the  presence  of  the  breth- 
ren offered  up  a  prayer,  and  with  hands  and  eyes  elevated 
to  heaven  exclaimed,  '  It  is  accomplished.' " 

Within  the  last  fifty  years  there  has  been  added  to  the 
American  emblems  of  Freemasonry  that  which  is  some- 
times termed  a  "  hieroglyphical  figure" — a  female  weep- 
ing over  a  broken  column,  a  book  open  before  her  ;  in 
her  right  hand  a  sprig,  in  her  left  an  urn  ;  Time  stand- 
ing behind  her  with  his  fingers  infolded  in  the  ringlets 
of  her  hair.  This  figure  was  designed  by  the  Rev.  Jona- 
than Nye  for  the  Hieroglyphic  Monitor,  published  by 
Jeremy  L.  Cross  in  1819.  The  idea,  doubtless,  was  de- 
rived from  the  legend  of  Isis  weeping  at  Byblos  over  the 
column  torn  from  the  palace  of  the  king,  which  contained 


COINCIDENCES    WITH    THE    MYSTERIES.  221 

the  body  of  Osiris,  while  Horns,  the  god  of  time,  pours 
ambrosia  on  her  hair. 

The  tradition  above  quoted  from  the  Ancient  and  Ac- 
cepted Rite  may  be  of  comparative  modern  origin  ;  ad- 
mitting that  it  is,  certainly  it  is  at  least  a  century  older 
than  the  hieroglyphical  figure  depicted  first  in  Cross' 
chart,  and  copied  from  him  by  all  those  who  have  used 
embellishments  in  the  making  up  of  instruction  books  or 
monitors. 

There  is  a  tradition  in  one  of  the  degrees  that,  during 
the  building  of  King  Solomon's  Temple,  the  Master  Ma- 
son's degree  being  in  abeyance,  the  king  ordered  twelve 
Fellow  Crafts  to  go  to  a  certain  place  and  watch  for  the 
rising  of  the  sun,  promising  that  he  who  first  saw  it  should 
be  the  third  Master  Mason,  and  that  one  of  them  suc- 
ceeded by  turning  his  back  to  the  east  and  discovering 
the  earliest  beams  of  the  sun  on  the  western  hills. 

Tradition  says  that  "  Queen  Elizabeth,  hearing  that 
the  Masons  had  certain  secrets  that  could  not  be  revealed 
to  her  (for  that  she  could  not  be  Grand  Master),  and  be- 
ing jealous  of  all  secret  assemblies,  etc.,  she  sent  an  armed 
force  to  break  up  their  annual  Grand  Lodge  at  York,  on 
St.  John's  day,  the  27th  of  December,  1561.  Sir  Thomas 
Sackville,  then  Grand  Master,  instead  of  being  dismayed 
at  such  an  unexpected  visit,  gallantly  told  the  officers 
that  nothing  could  give  him  greater  pleasure  than  seeing 
them  in  the  Grand  Lodge,  as  it  would  give  him  an  oppor- 
tunity of  convincing  them  that  Freemasonry  was  the  most 
useful  institution  that  was  ever  founded  on  divine  and 
moral  laws.  The  consequence  of  his  arguments  were 
that  he  made  the  chief  men  Freemasons,  who  on  their  re- 
turn made  an  honorable  report  to  the  queen,  so  that  she 
never  more  attempted  to  dislodge  or  disturb  them,  but 


222  TRADITIONS    OP    FREEMASONRY. 

esteemed  them  as  a  peculiar  sort  of  men  that  cultivated 
peace  and  friendship,  arts  and  sciences,  without  meddling 
in  the  affairs  of  church  and  state." 

Most  of  the  cathedrals  and  castles  in  the  mother  coun- 
try have  some  tradition  or  legend  connected  with  their 
building.  Such  legends  have  a  peculiar  sameness,  which 
proves  that  the  legend  was  a  general  one,  having  its  ori- 
gin at  a  remote  period.  We  shall  give  but  two  of  them 
for  illustrations. 

One  of  them  is  thus  retailed  by  the  cicerone  in  Lincoln 
Cathedral.  It  will  be  observed  that  at  each  end  of  the 
great  transept  is  a  splendid  rose  window.  One  of  them 
it  is  said  was  executed  by  the  master  mason  himself,  and 
that  he  exercised  the  utmost  ingenuity  upon  it,  that  it 
might  remain  an  immortal  monument  of  his  superior  taste 
and  genius.  When  it  was  completed  he  was  called 
away  to  a  distant  part  of  the  country,  and  during  his 
absence  one  of  the  apprentices  filled  up  the  correspond- 
ing window  with  the  fragments  of  the  broken  glass 
which  his  master  had  cast  aside ;  and  he  disposed  of  them 
with  such  admirable  effect,  that  when  the  master  returned 
and  saw  that  the  superior  talent  of  the  apprentice  had 
eclipsed  his  own  performance  and  neutralized  his  claim  to 
superior  excellence,  in  despair  he  cast  himself  from  the 
scaffold  and  was  dashed  to  pieces  on  the  stones  below. 

The  other  is  of  Roslyn  Chapel :  "  The  master  mason  of 
this  edifice,  meeting  with  some  difficulties  in  the  execu- 
tion of  his  design,  found  it  necessary  to  go  to  Rome  for 
information,  during  whicli  time  his  apprentice  carried  on 
the  work,  and  even  executed  some  parts  concerning  which 
his  master  had  been  most  doubtful,  particularly  the  fine 
fluted  column  ornamented  with  wreaths  of  foliage  and 
flowers  twisting  spirally  around  it.  The  master,  on  his 


COINCIDENCES    WITH    THE    MYSTERIES.  223 

return,  stung  with  envy  at  this  proof  of  the  superior 
abilities  of  his  apprentice,  slew  him  by  a  blow  with  his 
hammer. 

In  these  traditions  we  have  a  plain  reference  to  a 
fact  which  occurred  in  the  antediluvian  world.  The 
original  fact  had  been  so  long  covered  up  and  so  dis- 
torted by  the  mythology  of  the  ancients  that  it  was  not 
thought  of  in  connection  with  the  mysteries,  but  a  vague 
idea  of  a  tragedy  having  occurred  some  time  and  some 
where  was  entertained,  and  it  is  not  improbable  that 
the  tradition  may  be  traced  to  the  legend  which  was 
indicated  by  an  old  word  which  signifies  "  the  builder 
smitten." 

In  all  time  religious  truth  has  been  hidden  under 
symbols,  and  often  under  a  succession  of  allegories, 
where  vail  after  vail  had  to  be  penetrated  before  the 
light  was  reached  and  the  essential  truth  stood  revealed. 
Symbols  were  the  almost  universal  language  of  ancient 
theology.  They  were  the  most  obvious  method  of 
instruction,  for,  like  Nature  herself,  they  addressed  the 
understanding  through  the  eye,  and  the  most  ancient  ex- 
pressions denoting  communication  of  religious  knowl- 
edge signify  ocular  exhibition.  The  first  teachers  of 
mankind  borrowed  this  method  of  instruction,  and  it 
comprised  an  endless  store  of  pregnant  hieroglyphics. 
These  lessons  of  the  olden  time  were  the  riddles  of  the 
Sphynx  tempting  the  curious  by  their  quaintness,  but  in- 
volving the  personal  risk  of  the  adventurous  interpreter. 
"  The  gods  themselves/7  it  was  said,  "  disclose  their  in- 
tentions to  the  wise,  but  to  fools  their  teachings  are 
unintelligible  ;"  and  the  king  of  the  Delphic  oracle  was 
sail  not  to  declare,  nor  on  the  other  hand  to  conceal,  but 
emphatically  to  "  initiate  or  signify." 


224  TRADITIONS   OF   FREEMASONRY. 

The  ancient  sages  of  all  nations  involved  their  mean- 
ing in  similar  indirections  and  enigmas  ;  their  lessons 
were  conveyed  either  in  visible  symbols  or  in  those 
"  parables  and  dark  sayings  of  old"  which  the  Israelites 
considered  it  a  sacred  duty  to  hand  down  unchanged  to 
successive  generations.  The  explanatory  tokens  em- 
ployed by  man,  whether  emblematical  objects  or  actions, 
symbols  or  mystic  ceremonies,  were,  like  the  mystic  signs 
and  portents,  either  in  dreams  or  by  the  wayside,  sup- 
posed to  be  significant  of  the  intentions  of  the  gods ; 
both  required  the  aid  of  anxious  thought  and  skillful 
interpretation.  It  was  only  by  the  correct  appreciation 
of  analogous  problems  of  nature  that  the  will  of  heaven 
could  be  understood  by  the  divine  or  the  lessons  of  wis- 
dom become  manifest  to  the  sage. 

The  mysteries  were  a  series  of  symbols,  and  what  was 
spoken  there  consisted  wholly  of  accessory  explanations 
of  the  act  or  image — sacred  commentaries  explanatory 
of  established  symbols,  and  the  ancient  views  of  the  re- 
lation between  the  human  and  divine  received  dramatic 
forms,  which  were  explained  through  the  medium  of 
symbolic  instruction. 

There  has  ever  been  an  intimate  alliance  between  the 
two  systems  (the  symbolic  and  the  philosophical)  in  the 
allegories  of  the  monuments  of  all  ages,  in  the  symbolic 
writings  of  the  priests  of  all  nations,  in  the  rituals  of 
all  secret  and  mysterious  societies  :  there  has  been  a 
constant  series,  an  invariable  uniformity  of  principles 
which  come  from  an  aggregate — vast,  imposing  and  true 
— composed  of  parts  that  fit  harmoniously  only  there. 

Symbolic  instruction  is  recommended  by  the  constant 
and  uniform  usage  of  antiquity  ;  and  it  has  retained  its 
influence  throughout  all  ages  as  a  system  of  mysterious 


COINCIDENCES  WITH   THE   MYSTERIES.  225 

communication.  The  Deity,  in  his  revelations  to  man, 
adopted  the  use  of  material  images  for  the  purpose  of  en- 
forcing sublime  truths,  and  Christ  taught  by  symbols 
and  parables. 

Initiation  was  a  school  in  which  were  taught  the  truths 
of  primitive  revelation  ;  the  existence  and  attributes  of 
one  God  ;  the  immortality  of  the  soul ;  rewards  and 
punishments  in  a  future  life  ;  the  phenomenon  of  nature  ; 
the  arts,  the  sciences,  morality,  legislation,  philosophy 
and  philanthropy,  and  what  we  now  style  psychology  and 
metaphysics,  with  animal  magnetism  and  the  other  occult 
sciences. 

All  the  philosophers  and  legislators  that  made  antiq- 
uity illustrious  were  pupils  of  the  initiation  ;  and  all 
the  beneficent  modifications  in  the  religions  of  the  differ- 
ent people  instructed  by  them  were  owing  to  their  insti- 
tution and  extension  of  the  mysteries.  In  the  chaos  of 
popular  superstitions  those  mysteries  alone  kept  man 
from  lapsing  into  absolute  brutishness.  Pythagoras, 
Zoroaster  and  Confucius  drew  their  doctrines  from  the 
mysteries.  Clemens  of  Alexandria,  speaking  of  the 
great  mysteries,  says  :  "  Here  ends  all  instruction. 
Nature  and  all  things  are  seen  and  known."  Had  moral 
truths  alone  been  taught  the  initiate,  the  mysteries  could 
never  have  deserved  or  received  the  magnificent  eulogiums 
of  the  most  enlightened  men  of  antiquity  ;  of  Pindar, 
Plutarch,  Isocrates,  Diodorus,  Plato,  Euripides,  Socrates, 
Aristophanes,  Cicero,  Epictetus,  Marcus  Aurelius  and 
others — philosophers  hostile  to  the  sacerdotal  spirit  or 
historians  devoted  to  the  investigation-  of  truth.  No  ; 
all  the  sciences  were  taught  there  :  and  those,  oral  or 
written  traditions,  briefly  communicated  which  reached 
back  to  tli  "i  first  age  of  the  world. 


226  TRADITIONS   OF   FREEMASONRY. 

Initiation  was  considered  to  be  a  mystical  death — a 
descent  into  the  infernal  regions  where  every  pollution 
and  the  stains  and  imperfections  of  a  corrupt  and  evil 
life  were  purged  away  by  fire  and  water,  and  the  perfect 
epopt  was  then  said  to  be  regenerated,  neio-l>orn,  restored 
to  a  renovated  existence  of  life,  light  and  purity,  and 
placed  under  the  Divine  protection. 

A  new  language  was  adapted  to  these  celebrations, 
and  also  a  language  of  hieroglyphics  unknown  to  any 
but  those  who  had  received  the  highest  degree.  And  to 
them  ultimately  were  confined  the  learning,  the  morality 
and  the  political  power  of  every  people  among  which  the 
mysteries  were  practiced.  So  effectually  was  the  knowl- 
edge of  the  hieroglyphics  of  the  highest  degree  hidden 
from  all  but  a  favored  few,  that  in  process  of  time  their 
meaning  was  entirely  lost  and  none  could  interpret  them. 
If  the  same  hieroglyphics  were  employed  in  the  higher 
as  in  the  lower  degrees,  they  had  a  different  and  more 
abstruse  and  figurative  meaning.  It  was  pretended  in 
later  times  that  the  sacred  hieroglyphics  and  language 
were  the  same  that  were  used  by  the  celestial  deities. 
Every  thing  that  could  heighten  the  mystery  of  initiation 
was  added,  until  the  very  name  of  the  ceremony  pos- 
sessed a  strange  charm  and  yet  conjured  up  the  wildest 
fears.  The  greatest  rapture  came  to  be  expressed  by 
the  word  that  signified  to  pass  through  the  mysteries. 

The  doctrine  of  a  future  state  of  rewards  and  punish- 
ments formed  a  prominent  feature  in  the  mysteries,  and 
they  were  also  believed  to  assure  much  temporal  happi- 
ness and  good  fortune  and  afford  absolute  security 
against  the  most  imminent  dangers  by  land  and  sea. 
Public  odium  was  cast  on  those  who  refused  to  be  initia- 
ted. They  were  considered  profane,  unworthy  of  public 


COINCIDENCES  WITH  THE  MYSTERIES.  227 

employment  or  private  confidence,  and  held  to  be  doomed 
to  eternal  punishment  as  impious.  To  betray  the  secrets 
of  the  mysteries,  to  wear  on  the  stage  the  dress  of  an 
initiate,  or  to  hold  the  mysteries  up  to  derision,  was  to 
incur  death  at  the  hands  of  public  vengeance. 

The  mysteries  were  not  merely  simple  lustrations  and 
the  observance  of  some  arbitrary  formulas  and  ceremo- 
nies, nor  a  means  of  reminding  men  of  the  ancient  condi- 
tion of  the  race,  but  they  led  men  to  piety  by  instruction 
in  morals  and  as  to  a  future  life,  which,  at  a  very  early 
day,  if  not  originally,  formed  the  chief  portion  of  the 
ceremonial. 

They  were  the  invention  of  that  ancient  science  and 
wisdom  which  exhausted  all  its  resources  to  make  leg- 
islation perfect ;  and  of  that  philosophy  which  has  ever 
sought  to  secure  the  happiness  of  man  by  purifying  his 
soul  from  the  passions  which  can  trouble  it,  and,  as  a  ne- 
cessary consequence,  introduce  social  disorder. 

The  object  of  the  mysteries  was  to  ameliorate  our 
race  ;  to  perfect  its  manners  and  morals,  and  to  restrain 
society  by  stronger  bonds  than  those  which  human  laws 
impose  ;  to  procure  for  man  a  real  felicity  on  earth  by 
means  of  virtue,  and  to  that  end  he  was  taught  that  his 
soul  was  immortal,  and  that  error,  sin  and  vice  must 
needs,  by  an  inflexible  law,  produce  their  consequences. 

They  may  in  the  lapse  of  time  have  degenerated  into 
impostures  and  schools  of  false  ideas ;  but  they  were  not 
so  in  the  beginning,  or  else  the  wisest  and  best  men  of 
antiquity  have  uttered  the  most  willful  falsehoods.  In 
process  of  time  the  very  allegories  of  the  mysteries 
themselves — Tartarus  and  its  punishments,  Minos  and  the 
other  judges  of  the  dead — came  to  be  misunderstood,  and 
to  be  false  because  they  were  so  ;  while  at  first,  they 


228  TRADITIONS   OF   FREEMASONRY. 

were  true  because  they  were  recognized  as  merely  tho 
arbitrary  forms  in  which  truths  were  enveloped. 

Nothing  excites  men's  curiosity  so  much  as  mystery, 
concealing  things  which  they  desire  to  know  ;  and  noth- 
ing so  much  increases  curiosity  as  obstacles  that  interpose 
to  prevent  them  from  indulging  in  the  gratification  of 
their  desires.  Of  this  the  legislators  and  hierophants 
took  advantage  to  attract  the  people  to  their  sanctuaries, 
and  to  induce  them  to  seek  to  obtain  lessons  from  which 
they  would  perhaps  have  turned  away  with  indifference 
if  they  had  been  pressed  upon  them.  In  this  spirit  of 
mystery  they  professed  to  imitate  the  Deity,  who  hides 
himself  from  our  senses  and  conceals  from  us  the  springs 
by  which  he  moves  the  universe.  They  admitted  that 
they  concealed  the  highest  truths  under  the  vail  of  al- 
legory, the  more  to  excite  the  curiosity  of  men  and 
to  urge  them  to  investigation.  Tho  secrecy  in  which 
they  buried  their  mysteries  had  that  end.  Those  to 
whom  they  were  confided  bound  themselves  by  the  most 
fearful  oaths  never  to  reveal  them.  They  were  not  al- 
lowed even  to  speak  of  these  important  secrets  with  any 
others  than  the  initiated  ;  and  the  penalty  of  death  was 
denounced  against  any  one  indiscreet  enough  to  reveal 
them,  or  found  in  the  temple  without  being  an  initiate  ; 
and  any  one  who  had  betrayed  those  secrets  was  avoided 
by  all  as  excommunicated. 

By  initiation  those  who  were  fdloiv-citizens  only  be- 
came brothers,  connected  by  a  closer  bond  than  before, 
by  means  of  a  religious  fraternity,  which  bringing  men 
nearer  together,  united  them  more  strongly,  and  the 
weak  and  the  poor  could  more  readily  appeal  for  assist- 
ance to  the  powerful  and  the  wealthy,  with  whom  relig- 
ious associations  gave  them  a  closer  fellowship. 


COINCIDENCES  WITH  THE   MYSTERIES.  229 

Everywhere  and  in  all  their  forms  the  mysteries  were 
funereal  in  character,  and  celebrated  the  mystical  death 
and  restoration  to  life  of  some  divine  or  heroic  per- 
sonage ;  and  the  details  of  the  legend  and  the  mode  of 
death  varied  in  the  different  countries  where  the  myste- 
ries were  practiced. 

A  brief  summary  of  the  Egyptian  legend  will  serve  to 
show  the  leading  idea  on  which  the  mysteries  among  the 
Hebrews  were  based. 

Osiris  king  of  Egypt,  willing  to  confer  an  indeprivable 
benefit  on  all  the  nations  around  him  by  communicating 
to  them  the  arts  of  civilization,  left  the  government  of 
his  kingdom  to  the  care  of  his  wife,  Isis,  and  made  an 
expedition  of  three  years  to  effect  his  benevolent  purpose. 
On  his  return  he  fell  a  sacrifice  to  the  intrigues  of  his 
brother  Typhon,  who  had  formed  a  conspiracy  in  his  ab- 
sence to  destroy  him  and  usurp  his  throne.  At  a  grand 
entertainment  to  which  Osiris  was  invited,  when  none 
but  the  conspirators  were  present,  Typhon  produced  a 
valuable  chest,  richly  adorned  with  work  of  gold.  He 
had  succeeded  in  procuring  without  suspicion  a  measure- 
ment of  the  person  of  Osiris,  and  had  caused  the  chest  to 
be  made  of  such  proportions  as  would  fit  his  body. 
During  the  entertainment  and  while  the  guests  were  ex- 
tolling the  beauty  of  the  chest,  Typhon  promised  to  give 
it  to  any  person  present  whose  body  it  should  most  con- 
veniently hold.  Osiris  was  tempted  to  try  the  experi- 
ment, but  was  no  sooner  laid  in  the  chest  than  the  lid  of 
it  was  nailed  down  and  thrown  into  the  river.  The  body 
of  Osiris  thus  committed  to  the  mercy  of  the  winds  and 
waves  was  cast  up  at  Byblos,  in  Phoenicia,  and  left  at 
the  foot  of  a  tamarind  tree.  (See frontespiece.} 

As  soon  as  Isis  was  informed  of  the  death  of  the  unfor- 


230  TRADITIONS   OF  FREEMASONRY. 

tunate  Osiris,  and  that  his  body  had  been  shut  up  in  a 
coffin,  in  the  extremity  of  sorrow  and  despair  at  the  loss 
of  her  husband  she  set  out  in  company  with  Thoth  in 
search  of  the  body.  Uncertain  of  the  route  she  ought  to 
pursue,  uneasy  and  agitated,  her  heart  lacerated  with 
grief,  in  mourning  garb,  making  the  air  reecho  with  her 
lamentations,  she  interrogates  every  one  she  meets.  After 
encountering  the  most  extraordinary  adventures,  she  is 
informed  by  some  young  children  that  the  coffin  which 
contains  the  body  of  her  husband  had  been  carried  by 
the  waters  out  to  sea,  and  thence  to  Byblos  where  it  was 
stopped,  and  was  now  reposing  upon  a  plant  (erica)  which 
had  put  forth  a  superb  stalk.  The  coffin  was  so  envel- 
oped as  to  exhibit  the  appearance  of  being  a  part  of  it. 

The  king  of  the  country,  astonished  at  the  beauty  of 
the  bush,  had  it  cut,  and  made  of  iF^a  column  for  his 
palace,  without  perceiving  the  coffin  which  had  become 
incorporated  with  it.  Isis,  actuated  by  a  divine  impulse, 
arrived  in  Byblos  and  discovered  the  coffin,  and  engaged 
herself  as  nurse  to  the  king's  children.  As  a  reward  for 
her  services  she  demanded  that  the  precious  column 
should  be  given  to  her.  Disengaging  the  coffin  from  the 
branches  by  which  it  was  covered,  she  took  out  the  body 
and  sent  the  branches  to  the  king,  who  deposited  them 
in  the  Temple  of  Isis.  She  then  returned  to  Egypt,  where 
her  son  Horus  reigned  and  deposited  the  body  in  a  secret 
place,  intending  to  give  it  a  splendid  interment  By 
the  treachery  of  Typhon  she  was  again  deprived  of  the 
body,  which  was  severed  into  fourteen  parts  and  de- 
posited in  as  many  different  places.  Isis,  with  unparal- 
leled zeal  and  perseverance  undertook  a  second  journey 
to  search  for  these  scattered  remnants,  and  after  con- 
siderable fatigue  and  disappointment,  succeeded  in  find- 


COINCIDENCES  WITH  THE   MYSTERIES.'  231 

ing  every  part  and  buried  them  where  they  were  dis« 
covered,  erecting  an  altar  over  every  grave  to  mark 
the  place  where  her  husband's  remains  were  deposited. 
Isis,  aided  by  her  son  Orus,  or  Horus,  warred  against 
Typhon,  slew  him  reigned  gloriously,  and  at  her  death 
was  reunited  to  her  husband  in  the  same  tomb. 

The  masonic  reader  will  be  struck  with  the  remark- 
able coincidences  which  the  above  legends  present  with 
one  with  which  he  is  acquainted.  In  the  mysteries,  the 
nailing  up  of  the  body  of  Osiris  in  the  chest  or  ark  was 
termed  the  aphanism.  The  first  persons  who  discovered 
the  manner  of  the  death  of  Osiris  were  Pan  and  the 
satyrs,  who  communicated  the  intelligence  to  the  Egyp- 
tian people,  and  they  were  overwhelmed  with  horror  and 
amazement  at  the  intelligence.  Hence  the  word  panic. 
The  recovery  of  the  different  parts  of  the  body  by  Isis 
was  called  euresis,  or  finding.  It  was  then  proclaimed 
that  Osiris  was  risen  from  the  dead,  and  the  most  ex- 
travagant demonstrations  of  joy  were  used  to  express 
the  sincere  delight  of  the  Mystse  on  this  interesting 
occasion. 

The  word  Osiris  means,  according  to  the  most  learned 
among  the  ancients,  the  soul  of  the  world,  the  governor  of 
nature,  the  Icing,  the  guide,  the  coachman  or  leader.  It 
was  expressed  in  their  writing  sometimes  by  the  figure 
of  a  man  bearing  a  sceptre,  sometimes  by  that  of  a  coach- 
man carrying  a  whip,  or  plainly  by  an  eye.  The  all-see- 
ing eye  as  an  emblem  in  Masonry  represents  the  true 
God.  Typhon  is  but  the  anagram  of  Python,  the  serpent 
tempter  ;  the  word  signifies  to  over-persuade,  to  deceive. 

Egypt  was  repeopled  after  the  Deluge  by  the  sons  of 
Ham,  and  they  made  more  rapid  advances  in  recovering 
a  knowledge  of  the  arts  and  sciences  partially  lost  by 


232  TRADITIONS    OP    FREEMASONRY. 

that  catastrophe  than  any  other  people,  until  Egypt  be- 
came to  be  looked  upon  as  the  mother  of  science.  Phi- 
losopher's of  all  nations  resorted  there  for  instruction  and 
initiation,  and  writers  generally  assert  that  her  religious 
system  was  borrowed  by  all  other  nations.  Hence  it  is 
said  the  reason  why  Saturn,  Jupiter,  Neputine,  Bacchus, 
Dionysius,  Adonis,  Hu,  Schiva,  Brahma,  Odin,  Fohi,  etc., 
were  said  but  to  be  other  names  for  Osiris  ;  and  Venus, 
Astarte,  Juno,  Ceres,  Proserpine,  Cerdeiven,  Frea,  Rhea, 
Sita,  etc.,  of  Isis.  The  legends  of  every  one  of  the  dif- 
ferent phases  of  the  mysteries,  irrespective  of  country  or 
language,  had  the  same  general  character  ;  in  fact,  were 
all  identical  except  in  the  name  of  individuals.  Each 
legend  represented  the  death,  by  violence,  of  some  par- 
ticular person ;  with  some  it  was  a  god,  with  others  a 
demi-god,  and  with  others  a  great  warrior  or  person  who 
had  conferred  signal  benefits  upon  man  in  agricultural 
pursuits,  or  in  the  arts  and  sciences.  In  consequence  of 
such  death  something  was  lost ;  there  was  then  a  search 
made  for  that  which  was  lost,  a  finding  of  it,  or  of  a  part 
of  it,  or  of  something  that  was  adopted  as  a  substitute 
for  it — a  beginning  in  sorrow  and  lamentation,  and  an 
ending  in  joy  and  rejoicing.  Such  is  a  brief  summary  of 
the  legend  that  accompanied  the  ceremonial  of  each  of 
the  systems  of  the  mysteries  of  which  we  have  any  ac- 
count, either  historical  or  traditional,  that  has  been  prac- 
ticed on  this  globe.  We  have  presented  that  of  the 
Egyptian  mysteries  because  it  has  been  generally  re- 
garded as  the  parent  of  all  others.  More  pages  of  the 
writings  of  the  an  3icnts  that  have  been  preserved  to  our 
times  are  devoted  to  the  mysteries  than  to  the  develop- 
ment of  empires.  Hence  we  have  a  better  knowledge  of 
the  ceremonial  and  legend  of  many  of  the  phases  of  the 


COINCIDENCES  WITH  THE  MYSTERIES.  233 

mysteries  than  we  have  of  the  country  in  which  they 
were  practiced. 

That  all  the  mysteries  throughout  the  world  were  the 
same  in  substance,  being  derived  from  one  source,  and 
celebrated  in  honor  of  the  same  deities,  though  acknowl- 
edged under  different  appellations,  is  further  evidenced 
from  the  fact  that  they  are  traced  to  the  plains  of  Shinar 
before  the  dispersion  of  mankind. 

They  were  introduced,  so  says  tradition,  into  India  by 
Brahma,  into  China  and  Japan  by  Buddha,  into  Egypt 
by  Thoth,  the  son  of  Mizraim  (some  saybyMizraim  him- 
self), into  Persia  by  Zeradhust,  into  Greece  by  Melampus 
or  Cadmus,  into  Boeotia  by  Prometheus  and  his  son,  into 
Crete  by  Minos,  in  Samothrace  by  Eumospus  or  Darda- 
nus,  into  Messene  by  Caucon,  into  Thebes  by  Methapus, 
into  Athens  by  Erectheus,  into  Etruria  by  Philostratus, 
into  the  city  of  Arene  by  Lycus,  into  Thrace  by  Orpheus, 
into  Italy  by  the  Pelasgi,  into  Cyprus  by  Cinyras,  into 
Gaul  and  Britain  by  Gorner,  or  his  immediate  descend- 
ants, into  Scandinavia  by  Sigge  or  Odin,  into  Mexico  by 
Yitzliputzli,  and  into  Peru  by  Manco  Capac  and  his  wife 
— and  into  Judea  by  Hiram  Abif. 

The  candidate  in  these  initiations  was  made  to  pass 
through  a  mimic  representation  or  repetition  of  the  con- 
flict and  destruction  of  Osiris  and  the  eventual  recovery  of 
his  body  ;  and  the  explanation  made  to  him  after  he  had 
received  the  full  share  of  light  to  which  the  painful  and 
solemn  ceremonies  through  which  he  had  passed  had  en- 
titled him,  constituted  the  secret  doctrine,  the  object  of 
all  the  mysteries. 

Neither  history  or  tradition  relate  any  circumstance 
as  occurring  on  the  plains  of  Shinar  that  could  have  been 
the  great  original  of  the  legend  noticed.  It  must  have 


234  TRADITIONS  OP  FREEMASONRY. 

had  an  original  as  is  proved  by  its  universal  acceptance. 
In  finding  that  original  we  shall  find  the  original  of  the 
masonic  legend  brought  to  Judea  by  Hiram  Abif  himself, 
as  chief  of  the  Dionysian  artificers. 

Turning  to  the  Holy  Scriptures  we  find  recorded  in 
Genesis  iv.  8,  9,  as  follows  :  "  And  Cain  talked  with  Abel 
his  brother  :  and  it  came  to  pass,  when  they  were  in  the 
field,  that  Cain  rose  up  against  Abel  his  brother,  and 
slew  him.  And  the  Lord  said  unto  Cain,  Where  is  Abel 
thy  brother  ?  And  he  said,  I  know  not :  Am  I  my  broth- 
er's keeper  ?" 

Here,  in  plain,  simple  language,  we  find  the  original  of 
that  legend  which  has  puzzled  the  philosophers  and 
learned  men  of  the  world  for  more  than  four  thousand 
years.  This  theory  is  not  so  wild  or  visionary  as  that 
of  the  Astronomical  or  the  Arkite  ;  it  does  not  require  so 
much  stretch  of  the  imagination  to  fill  up  the  details. 

We  can  nowhere  find  in  the  Scriptures,  from  Genesis  to 
Malachi,  a  direct  or  emphatic  enunciation  of  immortality. 
Moses,  the  lawgiver  chosen  by  the  Almighty  to  make 
known  to  his  elect  people  the  forms  and  ceremonies  with 
which  he  chose  to  be  worshiped,  nowhere  speaks  of 
the  doctrine,  or  of  that  of  future  rewards  and  punish- 
ments. Are  we  to  suppose  that  the  world  was  left  for 
over  five  thousand  years  in  ignorance  of  these  great 
truths  ?  The  doctrine  was  first  publicly  taught  by  Jesus 
of  Nazareth,  so  far  as  the  Scriptural  record  is  concerned. 
But  admit  that  the  doctrines  are  shadowed,  that  the  Old 
Testament  is  full  of  allusions,  which  we  by  the  help  of 
the  New  Testament  understand  ;  to  teach  the  immortality 
of  the  soul  and  man's  accountability  without  such  as- 
sistance, those  dogmas  are  susceptible  of  argument. 
We  know  from  tradition,  and  from  those  termed  Heathen 


COINCIDENCES  WITH  THE  MYSTERIES.  235 

writers,  that  such  belief  was  entertained  long  before  the 
New  Testament  was  written  ;  aye,  a  thousand  years  be- 
fore the  time  of  Moses.  When  were  these  truths  enun- 
ciated ?  i 

Relative  to  the  origin  of  the  difficulty  between  Cain ' 
and  Abel,  Mahommedan  as  well  as  Jewish  traditions  say 
"  that  botli  Cain  and  Abel  were  born  with  a  twin  sister. 
When  they  were  grown  up,  Adam,  by  God's  direction, 
ordered  Cain  to  marry  Abel's  twin  sister,  and  that  Abel 
should  marry  Cain's  ;  for,  it  being  the  opinion  that  mar- 
riages ought  not  to  be  had  in  the  nearest  degrees  of  con- 
sanguinity, since  they  must  necessarily  marry  their  sisters, 
it  seemed  reasonable  to  suppose  they  ought  to  take  those 
of  the  remoter  degree  ;  but  this  Cain  refused  to  agree  to, 
because  his  own  sister  was  the  handsomest,  and  he  was 
desirous  of  marrying  her  himself.  Adam  ordered  them 
to  make  their  offerings  to  God,  thereby  referring  the  dis- 
pute to  his  determination.  Cain  complied  with  great 
reluctance  and  offered  a  sheaf  of  the  very  worst  of  his 
corn,  while  Abel's  offering  was  a  fat  lamb  of  the  best  of 
his  flock."  Abel's  offering  was  accepted  in  a  public  man- 
ner and  Cain's  rejected  ;  this  circumstance,  the  rejection 
of  his  suit,  appears  to  have  excited  Cain's  evil  passions 
to  such  a  degree  that  Deity  inquired  of  Cain,  "  Why  art 
thou  wroth  ?  and  why  is  thy  countenance  fallen  ?" 

The  account  of  the  murder  of  Abel  in  our  version  is 
not  only  brief  but  appears  to  be  defective.  The  words 
"  And  Cain  talked  with  Abel  his  brother"  do  not  express 
the  sense  of  the  original ;  it  should  rather  have  been, 
"  And  Cain  said,"  etc.  Our  translators,  not  finding  any 
record  of  what  was  said,  have  given  us  that  rendering. 
The  Samaritan  Pentateuch  supplies  the  words,  adding, 
"  Let  us  walk  out  into  the  field,"  etc. 


236  TRADITIONS    OF    FREEMASONRY. 

The  Jerusalem  Targum  gives  the  conversation  as  fol 
lows  :  "  And  Cain  said  unto  Hebel  his  brother,  Let  us  go 
out  into  the  field  ;  and  it  came  to  pass  that  when  they 
were  in  the  field,  Cain  answered  and  said  unto  Hebel  his 
brother,  I  thought  that  the  world  was  created  in  mercy  ; 
but  it  is  not  governed  according  to  the  merit  of  good 
•works,  nor  is  there  any  judgment,  nor  a  Judge,  nor  shall 
there  ~be  any  future  state  in  which  good  rewards  shall  be 
given  to  the  righteous,  and  punishment  executed  on  the 
wicked  ;  and  now  there  is  respect  of  persons  in  judg- 
ment. On  what  account  is  it  that  thy  sacrifice  has  been 
accepted  and  mine  not  received  with  complacency  ?  And 
Hebel  answered  and  said,  The  world  was  created  in 
mercy,  and  it  is  governed  according  to  the  fruit  of  good 
works  ;  there  is  a  Judge,  a  future  ivorld,  and  a  coming 
judgment,  where  good  rewards  shall  be  given  to  the 
righteous,  and  the  impious  punished,  and  there  is  no  re- 
spect of  persons  in  judgment ;  but  because  my  works  were 
better  and  more  precious  than  thine,  my  oblation  was  re- 
ceived with  complacency.  And  because  of  these  things 
they  contended  on  the  face  of  the  field  ;  and  Cain  rose 
up  against  Hebel  his  brother,  and  struck  a  stone  in  his 
forehead  and  killed  him.7' 

The  Mahommedan  tradition  says  "  that  as  Cain  was 
considering  which  way  he  should  effect  the  murder,  the 
Devil  appeared  to  him  in  human  shape  and  showed  him 
how  to  do  it  by  crushing  the  head  of  a  bird  between  two 
stones." 

A  Rabbinical  tradition  says  that  Adam  found  and  kept 
the  body  of  Abel  a  number  of  days,  not  knowing  what  to 
do  with  it,  until  God  taught  him  to  bury  it  by  the  ex- 
ample of  a  raven,  who,  having  killed  another  raven  in  his 
presence,  dug  a  pit  with  his  claws  and  beak,  and  buried 


COINCIDENCES  WITH  THE  MYSTEEIES.  237 

him  therein."    Mahommedans  have  the  same  tradition 
except  only  they  make  the  raven  appear  to  Cain. 

Here  we  find  a  loss  of  life  by  violence,  and  that,  too,  by 
the  hand  of  a  brother,  as  in  the  case  of  Osiris,  etc. ;  the 
escape  of  the  murderer  ;  the  search,  as  the  inquiry  was 
made  by  God,  "  Cain  where  is  thy  brother  ?"  the  dis- 
covery of  the  body  by  his  disconsolate  parents,  and  its 
subsequent  interment  under  a  certain  belief  of  its  final 
resurrection  from  the  dead.  These  two  latter  facts  we  in- 
fer ;  if  the  body  had  not  been  found  by  Adam,  from 
whence  came  the  tradition  recorded  by  Moses  ?  Moses 
either  copied  from  the  records  kept  before  the  Flood,  or 
he  recorded  the  traditions  transmitted  orally  ;  in  either 
case  there  must  have  been  the  fact  for  a  starting-point 
of  record  or  tradition,  and  hence  we  infer  that  Adam 
found  the  body,  and  having  found  it  made  the  only  dis- 
position of  it  probable,  that  is,  buried  it.  These  two 
points  disposed  of,  we  draw  upon  the  imagination  for 
only  one,  and  that  is,  that  Adam  buried  the  body  under  a 
certain  belief  of  its  final  resurrection  from  the  dead.  Does 
it  require  any  great  stretch  of  the  imagination  to  suppose 
that  then  and  there  (if  the  communication  had  not  been 
previously  made),  God  made  the  enunciation  to  the 
mourning  parents  of  Abel,  that  wliicJi  was  lost  should  be 
found  ;  that  which  had  given  the  body  life,  animation, 
power,  thought  and  heat,  was  immortal,  and  that  they 
should  find  it  hereafter  in  another  world  ?  Finally,  to 
complete  the  coincidences  of  the  legend,  the  murder  was 
discovered  and  the  murderer  received  the  punishment 
directed  by  the  Almighty. 

The  report  of  the  conversation  between  (5ain  and  Abel 
found  in  the  Jerusalem  Targum,  if  true,  would  prove  that 
the  great  truth  of  immortality  had  been  enunciated,  and 


238  TRADITIONS   OF  FREEMASONRY. 

that  Abel  fully  believed  it,  while  it  was  denied  by  Cain. 
Be  that  as  it  may,  it  was  first  publicly  and  positively 
enunciated  by  Jesus  of  Nazareth,  according  to  our  Scrip- 
tures, and  those  every  Mason  should  believe.  When  is 
it  so  likely  that  the  enunciation  would  have  been  made 
as  upon  the  occurrence  of  the  first  death  in  the  world  ? 
Had  it  been  first  made  to  Moses  it  would  have  been  re- 
corded, or  have  come  down  by  tradition  as  did  the  oral 
law,  but  Moses  is  silent  upon  the  subject.  That  Moseg 
was  acquainted  with  the  doctrine  we  know,  because  it 
was  one  of  the  elements  of  the  mysteries  in  which  he  had 
been  initiated  before  he  left  the  court  of  Pharaoh  as  a 
wanderer. 

The  theory  then  is  that  the  legend  of  the  death  of 
Abel  was  the  archetype  of  all  the  legends  recited  in  the 
mysteries  of  the  ancients.  Transmitted  orally,  it  was 
known  and  furnished  the  basis  of  the  mysteries  on  the 
plains  of  Shinar  ;  after  the  Dispersion  it  was  carried  into 
every  land  where  they  migrated.  The  name  of  the  hero 
changed  as  the  language  was  changed.  Egypt  made 
more  rapid  advances  in  recovering  the  arts  and  sciences 
than  any  other  nation,  and  gradually  obtained  an  ascen- 
dency in  science  and  religion  as  the  legend  had  suffered 
less  variation,  or  rather  as  less  innovations  had  been  made 
in  it  in  Egypt  than  in  other  countries.  The  philosophers 
who  visited  that  country  carried  back  with  them  the  le- 
gend which  they  found  there  and  thus  renovated  their 
systems,  and  thus  the  Egyptian  legend  became  to  be  re- 
garded as  the  original.  The  renovated  system  was  in- 
troduced into  Greece,  where  Osiris  took  the  name  of 
Bacchus  (or  lacchus,  from  which  comes  lao,  Jove,  Jovis, 
Jehovah)  or  Dionysius.  The  Ionian  architects,  in  pur- 
suit of  employment,  migrated  to  every  civilized  country, 


COINCIDENCES  WITH  THE  MYSTEEIES.  239 

practicing  the  Dionysian  rites  wherever  they  were,  and 
thus  become  to  be  called  the  "  Fraternity  of  Dionysian 
Artificers."  In  the  course  of  their  migrations  they  came 
to  Tyre,  and  from  thence  to  Jerusalem,  where  they  found 
the  true  original  legend. 

Here,  by  the  wisdom  of  Solomon,  a  union  was  consum- 
mated ;  the  process  of  time  and  proneness  of  man  to  fol- 
low their  natural  inclinations  had  caused  a  declension 
from  the  original  sacred  character  of  the  mysteries  and 
they  had  become  corrupt.  Solomon  and  Hiram  Abif  re- 
organized, as  it  were,  the  whole  system,  restoring  them  to 
their  original  intent. 

We  do  not  assert  that  the  legend  of  Hiram  Abif  is 
true.  •  We  only  know  that  it  has  come  to  us  by  tradition. 
At  what  time  the  legend  of  the  death  of  Hiram  Abif  took 
the  place  of  the  older  legends  in  the  mysteries  of  Persia, 
India,  Egypt,  etc.,  we  have  no  information.  Nor  is  it 
important  for  us  to  know  ;  for  Masonry  is  a  succession 
of  allegories,  the  mere  vehicles  of  great  lessons  in  moral- 
ity and  philosophy. 

Tradition  says.  "  after  the  completion,  but  before  the 
dedication  of  the  temple."  It  is  possible  that  our  legend 
may  be  in  fact  true,  and  not  allegorical ;  it  may  be  that 
the  circumstances  occurred,  not  "  on  the  day  set  apart 
for  the  celebration  of  the  cope-stone"  but  on  the, day 
(eleven  months  after)  set  apart  for  the  dedication  of  the 
temple. 

Such  a  version  of  our  tradition  would  not  be  in  opposi- 
tion to  the  Scriptural  account,  for  we  find  "  Hiram  made 
an  end  of  doing  all  the  work  that  he  made  King  Solomon 
for  the  house  of  the  Lord."  (1st  Kings,  vii.  40.)  Lest  this 
plain  intimation  should  be  perverted  or  misunderstood, 
the  above  chapter  enumerates  all  the  wonderful  works 


240  TRADITIONS   OP   FREEMASONRY. 

of  Hiram,  which  includes  the  making  of  all  the  holy  ves- 
sels, and  may  account  for  the  temple  not  being  dedicated 
until  eleven  months  after  the  cope-stone  was  placed.  In 
the  last  verse  of  the  chapter  last  mentioned,  which  is  in 
the  same  connection  with  his  making  an  end  of  all  his 
work,  it  was  said,  "  so  was  ended  all  the  work  that  King 
Solomon  made  for  the  house  of  the  Lord."  To  place  the 
fact  of  Hiram's  being  alive  at  the  finishing  of  the  temple 
beyond  all  doubt,  it  is  said,  "  And  Hiram  finished  the 
work  that  he  was  to  make  for  King  Solomon  for  the  house 
of  God."  (2d  Chron.  iv.  11.) 

The  succeeding  chapter  without  any  break  in  the  nar- 
rative records  the  ceremonies  of  the  dedication.  Nor  do 
the  Scriptures  mention  the  death  of  Hiram  Abif,  nor 
deem  him  worthy  of  any  mention  whatever,  except  as  a 
skillful  workman  in  metals.  In  them  it  nowhere  appears 
that  he  was  a  person  fitted  to  associate  with  King  Solo- 
mon, or  that  he  did  not  hold  to  the  Phoenician  faith  like 
Hiram  his  monarch. 

The  masonic  legend  stands  by  itself,  unsupported  by 
history  or  other  than  its  own  traditions  ;  yet  we  readily 
recognize  in  Hiram  Abif,  one  of  the  Grand  Masters  of 
Freemasons,  the  Osiris  of  the  Egyptians,  the  Mithras  of 
the  Persians,  the  Bacchus  of  the  Greeks,  the  Dionysius 
of  the  Fraternity  of  the  Artificers,  and  the  Atys  of  the 
Phrygians,  whose  passion,  death  and  resurrection  were 
celebrated  by  these  people  respectively. 

For  many  ages  and  everywhere  Masons  have  cele- 
brated the  death  of  Hiram  Abif.  That  event  therefore 
interests  the  whole  world  and  no  particular  sect,  order 
or  coterie  :  it  belongs  to  no  particular  time,  religion  or 
people.  Everywhere  among  the  ancient  nations  there 
existed  a  similar  allegory,  and  all  must  refer  to  some 


COINCIDENCES  WITH  THE  MYSTEEIES.  24:1 

great  primitive  fact.  That  fact  we  believe  to  have  been 
the  murder  of  Abel  by  his  brother  Cain. 

It  is  impossible  to  believe  that  a  knowledge  of  occur- 
rences so  unimportant  and  so  imperfectly  told  as  is  the 
legend  of  Hiram  could  have  been  the  sole  object  of  the 
Master's  degree.  The  drama  is  obviously  but  an  alle- 
gory which  the  degree  itself  (as  it  is  generally  given) 
utterly  fails  to  explain,  and  seems,  indeed,  more  like  a  suc- 
cession of  hints  at  deeper  truths  than  like  the  truth 
itself. 

In  the  Apprentice  we  find  reproduced  the  Aspirant 
of  Thebes  and  Eleusis,  the  Soldiers  of  Mithras,  the 
Christian  Catechumen.  In  the  Fellow  Craft,  the  Mixm/f 
of  Eleusis  the  Initiate  of  the  Second  Order,  the  Lion  of 
the  Eastern  Mysteries,  the  Christian  Neophyte.  In  all 
the  mysteries  there  was  a  double  doctrine.  It  was  so 
everywhere ;  the  Brahmins  of  India  as  well  as  among 
the  Druids  of  Germany  and  Gaul,  at  Memphis,  Samo- 
thrace  and  Eleusis  ;  in  the  mysteries  of  the  Hebrews  and 
early  Christians  as  well  as  in  those  of  Ceres  and  the 
Good  Goddess.  Everywhere  we  see  emblems  presenting 
a  physical  meaning  and  receiving  a  double  interpretation ; 
one  natural  and,  as  it  were,  material,  within  the  reach  of 
ordinary  intellects  ;  the  other,  sublime  and  philosophical, 
which  was  communicated  to  those  men  of  genius  only 
who,  in  the  preparatory  degree,  had  understood  the  con- 
cealed meaning  of  the  allegories. 

Everywhere  in  the  East,  the  cradle  of  religions  and 
allegories,  we  see  in  ancient  times  under  different  names 
the  same  idea  reproduced  ;  everywhere  a  god,  a  supreme 
being  or  an  extraordinary  man  is  slain  to  recommence 
afterward  a  glorious  life  ;  everywhere  we  meet  the  mem- 
ory of  a  great  tragical  event,  a  crime  or  transgression 
11 


24:2  TRADITIONS    OF    FREEMASONRY. 

that  plunges  the  people  into  sorrow  and  mourning,  to 
which  soon  succeeds  enthusiastic  rejoicing. 

The  Master's  degree  is  but  a  pale  reflection  of  the  an- 
cient initiation,  the  allegorical  device  whereof  has  been 
disfigured  and  become  trivial ;  so  that  at  the  present  day 
it  needs  all  the  skill  of  a  well-informed  Master  to  give 
interest  to  the  interpretations  of  the  mutilated  hiero- 
glyphics of  this  beautiful  degree. 

The  constant  struggle  in  every  man  between  the  Di- 
vine and  natural  will  was  but  an  integral  part  of  the 
great  contest  between  good  and  evil  everywhere  in  the 
world.  With  this  the  ancients  assimilated  the  like 
struggle  between  health  and  sickness,  pleasure  and  pain, 
peace  and  war,  good  fortune  and  poverty.  It  seemed  to 
them  also  like  the  perpetually  alternating  conflict  between 
light  and  darkness  and  winter  and  summer.  They  re- 
sorted to  the  theory  of  two  principles  as  an  explanation 
of  the  whole — two  principles  ever  at  war;  and  by  a 
temporary  victory  over  one  of  which,  by  the  other  sin 
and  evil  and  pain  and  sorrow  came  into  the  world.  Re- 
viving again,  they  imagined  the  Good  Principle  still 
warring  against  the  Evil  one,  and  reconciled  all  diffi- 
culties by  holding  that  he  was  ultimately  to  conquer 
when  the  world  would  be  redeemed  and  regenerated. 

Science,  offered  to  all  well-born  Egyptians,  was  forced 
on  no  one.  The  doctrines  of  morality,  political  laws, 
the  restraints  of  public  opinion,  the  controlling  effect  of 
the  civil  institutions  were  the  same  for  all ;  but  religious 
instruction  varied  according  to  the  capacity,  virtue  and 
wishes  of  each.  The  mysteries  were  not  made  common 
as  Masonry  is  at  this  day,  for  they  were  of  some  value. 
Instruction  as  to  the  nature  of  the  Deity  was  not  pro- 
miscuously given  because  the  knowledge  of  it  was  real ; 


COINCIDENCES   WITH   THE  MYSTERIES.  243 

and  to  preserve  the  truth  of  it  for  many,  it  was  indispen- 
sable not  to  give  it  uselessly  to  all. 

As  before  remarked,  we  teach  the  truth  of  none  of  the 
legends  we  recite.  They  are  to  us  but  parables  and  al- 
legories involving  and  enveloping  masonic  instruction, 
and  vehicles  of  useful  and  interesting  information.  They 
represent  the  different  phases  of  the  human  mind,  its  ef- 
forts and  struggles  to  comprehend  nature,  God,  the  gov- 
ernment of  the  universe,  the  permitted  existence  of  sor- 
row and  evil.  To  teach  us  wisdom,  and  the  folly  of 
endeavoring  to  explain  to  ourselves  that  which  we  are 
not  capable  of  understanding,  we  reproduce  the  specula- 
tions of  the  philosophers,  the  Cabalists,  the  Mystagogues 
and  the  Gnostics.  Every  one  being  at  liberty  to  apply 
our  symbols  and  emblems  as  he  thinks  most  consistent 
with  truth  and  reason  and  with  his  own  faith,  we  give 
them  such  an  interpretation  only  as  may  be  accepted  by 
all.  Our  degrees  may  be  conferred  in  France  or  Turkey, 
at  Pekin,  Ispahan,  Rome,  Geneva  or  on  Plymouth  Rock, 
upon  the  subject  of  an  absolute  government  or  the  citizen 
of  a  free  State,  upon  sectarian  or  theist. 

To  honor  the  Deity,  to  regard  all  men  as  our  brethren, 
as  children  equally  dear  to  him,  and  to  make  himself 
useful  to  society  and  himself  by  his  labor,  are  its  teach- 
ings to  its  initiates  in  all  the  degrees. 

A  preacher  of  Liberty,  Fraternity  and  Equality,  it  de- 
sires them  to  be  attained  by  making  men  fit  to  receive 
them,  and  by  the  moral  power  of  an  intelligent  and  en- 
lightened people.  It  lays  no  plots  and  engages  in  no 
conspiracies.  It  hatches  no  premature  revolutions  ;  it 
encourages  no  people  to  revolt  against  the  constituted 
authorities ;  but  recognizing  the  great  truth  that  free- 
dom follows  fitness  for  freedom  as  the  corollary  fol- 


244  TRADITION'S   OP  FREEMASONRY. 

lows  the  axiom,  it  strives  to  prepare  men  to  govern  them- 
selves. 

We  will  conclude  our  remarks  upon  this  degree  with 
a  summary  of  the  duties  of  Masons  toward  each  other, 
which  were  published  more  than  a  century  ago. 

First.  That  when  the  calamities  of  our  brother  call  for 
our  aid,  we  should  not  withdraw  the  hand  that  might 
sustain  him  from  sinking,  but  that  we  should  render  him 
those  services,  which,  not  incumbering  or  injuring  our 
families  or  fortunes,  charity  and  religion  may  dictate  for 
the  saving  of  our  fellow-creature. 

Second.  From  which  purpose,  indolence  should  not 
persuade  the  foot  to  halt  or  wrath  turn  our  steps  out  of 
the  way  ;  but  forgetting  injuries  and  selfish  feelings,  and 
remembering  that  man  was  born  for  the  aid  of  his  gen- 
eration and  not  for  his  own  enjoyments  only,  but  to  do 
that  which  is  good,  we  should  be  swift  to  have  mercy, 
to  save,  to  strengthen  and  execute  benevolence. 

Third.  As  the  good  things  of  this  life  are  partially 
dispensed,  and  some  are  opulent,  while  others  are  in  dis- 
tress, such  principles  also  enjoin  a  Mason,  be  he  ever  so 
poor,  to  testify  his  good  will  toward  his  brother.  Riches 
alone  do  not  allow  the  means  of  doing  good  ;  virtue  and 
benevolence  are  not  confined  to  the  walks  of  opulence  ; 
the  rich  man,  from  his  many  talents,  is  required  to  make 
extensive  works  under  the  principles  of  virtue,  and  yet 
poverty  is  no  excuse  for  an  omission  of  that  exercise  ;  for 
as  the  cry  of  innocence  ascendeth  up  to  heaven,  as  the 
voice  of  babes  and  sucklings  reach  the  throne  of  God, 
and  as  the  breathings  of  a  contrite  heart  are  heard  in 
the  regions  of  dominion,  so  a  Mason's  prayers,  devoted 
to  the  welfare  of  his  brother,  are  required  of  him. 
Fourth.  The  fourth  principle  is  never  to  injure  the 


COINCIDENCES  WITH   THE   MYSTERIES.  245 

confidence  of  your  brother  by  revealing  his  secrets  ;  for, 
perhaps,  that  were  to  rob  him  of  the  guard  which  pro- 
tects his  property  or  life.  The  tongue  of  a  Mason  should 
be  void  of  offense  and  without  guile,  speaking  truth  with 
discretion  and  keeping  itself  within  the  rule  of  judg- 
ment, maintaining  a  heart  void  of  uncharitableness,  lock- 
ing up  secrets  and  communing  in  charity  and  love. 

Fifth.  Of  charity. — So  much  is  required  of  a  Mason 
in  his  gifts  as  discretion  shall  limit ;  charity  begins  at 
home,  but  like  a  fruitful  olive  tree  planted  by  the  side 
of  a  fountain  whose  boughs  overshoot  the  wall,  so  is 
charity ;  it  spreads  its  arms  abroad  from  the  strength 
and  opulence  of  its  station  and  bendeth  its  shade  for  the 
repose  and  relief  of  those  who  are  gathered  under  its 
branches.  Charity,  when  given  with  imprudence,  is  no 
longer  a  virtue  ;  but  when  flowing  from  abundance,  it  is 
glorious  as  the  beams  of  morning,  in  whose  beauty  thou- 
sands rejoice.  When  donations,  extorted  by  pity,  are 
detrimental  to  a  man's  family,  they  become  sacrifices 
to  superstition,  and  like  incense  to  idols  are  disapproved 
by  heaven. 

Thus  by  the  five  points  of  fellowship  are  Masons 
linked  together  in  one  indivisible  chain  of  sincere  affec- 
tion, brotherly  love,  relief  and  truth. 


ark 


CHAPTER  XL 


MARK    MASTER    MASON. 

INTRODUCTORY  —  Each  Country  has  a  System  peculiar  to  Itself—  Definition 
of  Rites  by  Dr.  Oliver — Dr.  Mackey —  Theory  of  Masonry  —  Interming- 
ling of  the  Ancient  Dogmas  at  the  beginning  of  the  Present  Era —  The 
New  Religion  preserved  by  a  Secret  Association  —  A.  D.  1717,  a  New- 
Epoch  in  Masonic  History  —  Change  in  the  Regulations — Gentlemen, 
in  Contra-distinction  to  Operative  Masons  —  The  Fraternity  became 
Popular  —  New  Degrees  Created  —  Rites  Arranged  —  Series  of  Degrees 
in  Various  Rites  —  York  Rite  —  First  Grand  Lodge  of  England  —  True 
York  Rite  now  nowhere  Cultivated  —  System  of  England,  Scotland, 
Ireland — The  French  Rite  — Ancient  and  Accepted  Rite  —  Cosmopoli- 
tan—  The  Webb,  or  American  Rite — Why  so  Named  —  Jeremy  L. 
Cross'  Notice  of  its  Origin  —  New  Series  —  Thomas  Smith  Webb  enti- 
tled to  the  Credit  — Mark  not  a  Part  of  the  Fellow  Crafts'  Degree  — 
Three  Classes  of  Fellow  Crafts  engaged  at  Solomon's  Temple  —  Master 
Mark  Mason's  Degree  a  Detached  Degree  of  the  Ancient  and  Accepted 
Rite — Mark  Master's  Degree  arranged  from  It  —  Comparison  —  Tra- 
ditions upon  which  the  Degree  is  Founded  —  Marks  —  Historical  Coin- 
cidences—  Overseers  —  Value  of  the  Shekel  —  Payment  of  Wages  — 
Joppa  —  Prodigious  Stones  used  in  Buildings  —  Arch  and  Key  Stone  — 
Tessera  Hospitalis  —  New  Name  —  Teachings  of  the  Degree  —  Chanty  — 
Heaving  —  Feeling  —  Conclusion. 

MASONIC  traditions  say  that  at  the  building  of  the 
Temple  of  Solomon  the  workmen  were  divided  into 
classes,  and  to  each  class  were  assigned  different  methods 
of  recognition.  According  to  these  traditions,  there 
were  three  divisions  of  the  Fellow  Crafts.  The  first,  or 
higher  class,  worked  in  the  quarries  in  finishing  the 
stones,  or,  as  is  said  in  the  lectures,  "  in  hewing,  squar- 
ing, marking  and  numbering"  them  ;  and  that  each  one 
might  be  enabled  to  designate  his  own  work,  he  was  in 
possession  of  a  masrk,  which  he  placed  upon  the  stones 

11*  (249) 


250  TRADITIONS    OF    FREEMASONRY. 

prepared  by  him.  Hence,  this  class  of  Felloe  Crafts 
were  called  Mark  Masters,  and  received  their  pay  from 
the  Senior  Grand  Warden,  whom  some  suppose  to  have 
been  Adoniram,  the  brother-in-law  of  Hiram  Abif,  and 
the  first*  of  the  Provosts  and  Judges. 

These  Fellow  Crafts  received  their  pay  in  money  at 
the  rate  of  a  half  shekel  of  silver  per  day,  equal  to  about 
a  quarter  of  a  dollar.  They  were  paid  weekly,  at  the  sixth 
hour  of  the  sixth  day  of  the  week,  that  is  to  say,  on  Fri- 
day, at  noon.  This  hour  appears  to  have  been  chosen 
because,  as  we  are  taught,  that  at  noon  or  high  twelve, 
the  Craft  were  always  called  from  labor  to  refreshment, 
and  hence  the  payment  of  their  wages  at  that  hour  would 
not  interfere  with,  or  retard  the  progress  of  the  work. 

The  second  and  probably  more  numerous  class  of  Fel- 
low Crafts,  were  the  younger  and  inexperienced  work- 
men, whose  skill  and  knowledge  was  not  such  as  to  entitle 
them  to  advancement  to  the  grade  of  Mark  Masters. 
Those  workmen  were  not,  therefore,  in  possession  of  a 
mark.  They  proved  their  right  to  reward  by  another 
token,  and  received  their  wages  in  the  middle  chamber 
of  the  temple,  and  were  paid  in  corn,  wine  arid  oil, 
agreeably  to  the  stipulation  of  King  Solomon  with  Hirain 
king  of  Tyre.  Or  these  latter  were  of  that  class  who 
wrought  in  wood,  carpenters,  because  it  is  obvious  that 
wages  could  only  be  paid  in  the  middle  chamber  after  it 
was  completed. 

In  nearly  every  country  where  Freemasonry  is  known 
and  practiced  we  find  a  system  peculiar  to  the  country, 
particularly  if  those  known  as  the  high  degrees  are  cul- 
tivated. The  arrangement  of  these  higher  degrees  are 
called  Sites.  Landmarks,  or  those  methods  by  which 
Masons  prove  themselves  to  be  Masters,  are  the  same 


COINCIDENCES  WITH  THE  MYSTERIES.  251 

everywhere,  in  all  countries  and  in  all  rites.  The  first 
three  degrees  are  the  basis  of  all  masonic  rites. 

"  Rite,"  says  Dr.  Oliver,  "  is  an  item  in  the  ceremonial 
of  conferring  degrees,  although  in  some  countries  it  is 
extended  to  include  a  number  of  degrees  and  orders.'' 

"  Rite,"  says  Dr.  Mackey, "  is  a  modification  of  Masonry, 
in  which  the  three  ancient  degrees  and  their  essentials 
being  preserved,  there  are  varieties  in  the  ceremonies, 
and  number  and  names  of  the  additional  degrees.  A 
masonic  rite  is  therefore  in  accordance  with  the  general 
signification  of  the  word,  the  method,  order  and  rules 
observed  in  the  performance  and  government  of  the  ma- 
sonic system." 

In  the  preceding  pages  we  have  advanced  the  theory 
that  the  institution  which  is  now  known  as  Freemasonry 
was  originally  a  secret  association,  in  which  was  taught 
the  great  truths  of  the  primordial  religion — a  system 
veiled  in  allegory  and  illustrated  by  symbols,  and  which 
eventually  received  the  name  of  the  Mysteries ;  that 
the  ancient  nations,  except  the  Hebrews,  gradually  per- 
verted the  allegories  and  lost  the  true  meanings  of  the 
symbols  ;  that  Solomon  united  the  system  preserved  by 
the  Hebrews  with  that,  brought  to  Jerusalem  by  the 
Dionysian  Artificers,  and  dividing  the  ceremonies  into 
classes,  or  as  we  now  say  degrees,  assigned  to  each  class 
different  methods  of  recognition  selected  from  the  two 
systems.  After  the  completion  of  the  temple  at  Jerusa- 
lem the  workmen  carried  this  improved  system  into  every 
country  where  they  travelled  in  search  of  employment. 

At  the  time  when  John  the  Baptist  made  his  appear- 
ance in  the  desert,  near  the  shores  of  the  Dead  Sea,  all 
the  old  philosophical  and  religious  systems  were  approxi- 
mating toward  each  other.  A  general  lassitude  inclined 


252  TRADITIONS   OP   FREEMASONRY. 

the  minds  of  all  toward  the  quietude  of  that  amalgama- 
tion of  doctrines  for  which  the  expeditions  of  Alexander, 
and  the  more  peaceful  occurrences  that  followed,  with 
the  establishment  in  Asia  and  Africa  of  many  Grecian 
dynasties  and  a  great  number  of  Grecian  colonies,  had 
prepared  the  way.  After  the  intermingling  of  different 
nations,  which  resulted  from  the  wars  of  Alexander  in 
three-quarters  of  the  globe,  the  doctrines  of  Greece,  of 
Egypt,  of  Persia  and  of  India  met  and  intermingled  every- 
where. All  the'  barriers  that  had  formerly  kept  the 
nations  apart  were  thrown  down  ;  and  while  the  people 
of  the  West  readily  connected  their  faith  with  those  of 
the  East,  the  people  of  the  Orient  hastened  to  learn  the 
traditions  of  Greece  and  the  legends  of  Athens.  While 
the  philosophers  of  Greece,  all  (except  the  disciples  of 
Epicurus)  more  or  less  Platonicians,  seized  eagerly  upon 
the  beliefs  and  doctrines  of  the  East,  the  Jews  and 
Egyptians,  before  then  the  most  exclusive  of  all  peoples, 
yielded  to  that  eclecticism  which  prevailed  among  their 
masters,  the  Greeks  and  Romans. 

Under  the  same  influences  of  toleration,  even  those 
who  embraced  Christianity  mingled  together  the  old 
and  the  new,  Christianity  and  philosophy,  the  Apostolic 
teachings,  and  the  traditions  of  Mythology.  The  man  of 
intellect,  devotee  of  one  system,  rarely  displaces  it  with 
another  in  all  its  purity.  About  A.  D.  29,  some  of  the 
dogmas  which  from  the  earliest  time  had  only  been  taught 
in  the  secret  recesses  of  the  tyled  assembly  began  to  be 
openly  preached  to  the  people.  The  distinction  between 
the  esoteric  and  the  exoteric  doctrine,  immemorial  in 
other  creeds,  easily  gained  a  foothold  among  many  of  the 
Christians  ;  and  it  was  held  by  a  vast  number,  even  dur- 
ing the  preaching  of  Paul,  that  the  writings  of  the  Apos- 


COINCIDENCES    WITH    THE    MYSTERIES.  253 

ties  were  incomplete  ;  that  they  contained  only  the  germs 
of  another  doctrine,  which  must  receive  from  the  hands 
of  philosophy,  not  only  the  systematic  arrangement  which 
was  wanting,  but  all  the  development  which  lay  con- 
cealed therein.  The  writings  of  the  Apostles,  they  said, 
in  addressing  themselves  to  mankind  in  general,  enunci- 
ated only  the  articles  of  the  vulgar  faith,  but  transmitted 
the  mysteries  of  knowledge  to  superior  minds,  to  the 
Elu — mysteries  handed  down  from  generation  to  genera- 
tion in  esoteric  traditions. 

The  fanatic  and  intolerant  saw  in  this  new  order  of 
things  the  coming  dissolution  of  those  mysteries  which 
had  been  perverted  and  were  being  made  use  of  for  their 
own  purposes.  Religious  persecutions  arose,  and  the 
secret  association  of  architects  was  for  a  time  made  use 
of  to  preserve  and  promulgate  in  security  not  only  the 
old  dogmas  but  the  new  ideas.  Traveling  as  architects, 
the  organization  began  to  be  considered  as  exclusively 
a  society  of  operative  Masons,  associated  for  mutual  pro- 
tection and  support. 

Retaining  and  preserving  the  old  landmarks,  symbols 
and  allegories,  we  find  traces  of  them  in  different  parts 
of  the  world  during  the  Dark  Ages,  but  they  had  lost  the 
true  interpretation  of  their  symbols  and  allegories — pre- 
served the  shadow,  but  lost  the  substance. 

A.  D.  1717,  was  a  new  epoch  in  the  history  of  Free- 
masonry, immediately  prior  to  which  time  but  few  lodges 
were  in  existence.  The  society  was  composed  of  work- 
ing Masons,  the  only  exceptions  were  made  in  favor  of 
men  distinguished  for  rank,  scientific  attainments,  or 
position  in  civil  life.  On  St.  John  the  Evangelist's  Day  of 
the  above-mentioned  year,  an  annual  feast  was  held  for 
the  first  time  in  several  years.  Several  new  regulations 


254  TRADITIONS    OF    FREEMASONRY. 

were  adopted,  one  of  which  authorized  the  acceptance  of 
members  without  reference  to  occupation  or  pursuit. 
From  this  time  the  fraternity  became  popular  and  rap- 
idly increased  in  numbers  and  influence.  Men  of  the 
highest  order  of  intellect  knocked  at  its  doors  and  were 
admitted.  The  true  interpretation  of  its  allegories  and 
symbols,  which  had  been  long  lost  sight  of,  began  to  be 
recovered  from  the  wreck  of  ages. 

Previous  to  A.  D.  1717,  those  who  were  accepted  into 
the  fraternity,  and  who  were  not  operatives,  were  desig- 
nated as  gentlemen  Masons ;  after  the  change  in  the 
regulation  governing  admission  was  made,  we  find  the 
term  speculative  Masonry  used. 

As  before  remarked,  the  fraternity  became  very  pop- 
ular, and  designing  men  sought  to  make  use  of  it  for  their 
own  selfish  purposes.  New  degrees  were  created  and  be- 
came the  rage  every  where,  but  more  particularly  in  France 
and  Germany,  which  became  the  hot-bed,  as  it  were,  of 
so-called  masonic  degrees,  whose  number  was  legion. 

Many  of  these  degrees  were  arranged  in  systems  or 
rites,  most  of  which  had  their  day  and  died  out ;  a  few 
however  became  popular  and  have  continued  to  be  culti- 
vated. Among  the  systems  were  : 

First,  The  York  Rite,  the  basis  of  all  others,  consisting 
of  three  degrees. 

1.  Entered  Apprentice, 

2.  Fellow  Craft, 

3.  Master  Mason  ;  this  latter  degree,  about  A.  D.  1740,  was  mu- 
tilated, and  another  degree  made,  called  the 

4.  Holy  Koyal  Arch. 

Second.  The  French  or  Modern  Rite,  consisting  of — • 
i  1.  Apprentice, 

2.  Fellow  Craft, 


COINCIDENCES    WITH    THE    MYSTERIES. 


255 


3.  Master  Mason, 

4.  Elect  Mason, 

5.  Scotch  Mason, 

6.  Knight  of  the  East, 

7.  Rose  Croix. 

Third.  Ancient  and  Accepted  Scotch  Rite,  consisting 
of— 


1.  Entered  Apprentice, 

2.  Fellow  Craft, 

3.  Master  Mason, 

4.  Secret  Master, 

5.  Perfect  Master, 

6.  Intimate  Secretary, 

7.  Provost  and  Judge, 

8.  Intendant  of  the  Building, 

9.  Elected  Knights  of  Nine, 

10.  Illustrious  Elect  of  Fifteen, 

11.  Sublime  Knights  Elected, 

12.  Grand  Master  Architect, 

13.  Knight  of  the  Ninth  Arch, 
H.  Grand  Elect,  Perfect    and 

Sublime  Mason, 

15.  Knight  of  the  East, 

16.  Prince  of  Jerusalem, 

17.  Knight  of  the  East    and 

West, 

18.  Sovereign  Prince  of  Rose 

Croix, 

19.  Grand  Pontiff, 


20.  Grand  Master  of  all  Sym- 

bolic Lodges, 

21.  Nbachite,      or       Prussian 

Knight, 

22.  Knight  of  the  Royal  Ax,  or 

Prince  of  Libanus, 

23.  Chief  of  the  Tabernacle, 

24.  Prince  of  the  Tabernacle, 

25.  Knight  of  the  Brazen  Ser- 

pent, 

26.  Prince  of  Mercy,  or  Scotch 

Trinitarian, 

27.  Sovereign  Commander    of 

the  Temple, 

28.  Knight  of  the  Sun, 

29.  Grand  Scotch  Knight  of  St. 

Andrew, 

30.  Grand-Elect  Knight  Kadosh 

31.  Grand     Enquiring      Com- 

mander, 

32.  Sublime  Prince  of  the  Royal 

Secret, 


33.  Sovereign  Grand  Inspector-General. 

Fourth.  The  Webb  or  American  Rite,  consisting  of — 

1.  Entered  Apprentice, 

2.  Fellow  Craft, 

3.  Master  Mason,  ^t*T 

4.  Mark  Master, 

5.  Past  Master, 


256  TRADITIONS   OF    FREEMASONRY. 

6.  Most  Excellent  Master, 

7.  Royal  Arch, 

8.  Order  of  High  Priesthood, 

9.  Royal  Master, 

10.  Select  Master, 

11.  Illustrious  Knight  of  the  Red  Cross, 

12.  Knight  Templar, 

13.  Knight  of  Malta. 

In  the  foregoing  series,  the  eighth  or  Order  of  High 
Priesthood  can  be  conferred  only  upon  the  past  or  present 
presiding  officer  of  a  Royal  Arch  Chapter,  and  the 
eleventh,  twelfth  and  thirteenth  degrees  are  frequently 
conferred  upon  parties  who  have  not  received  the  ninth 
and  tenth. 

The  first,  or  York  Rite,  was  so  named  from  the  city 
of  York,  where  the  first  Grand  Lodge  of  England  was 
held  in  A.  D.  926.  The  earliest  lodges  in  this  country 
practiced  this  rite,  and  to  this  day  several  Grand  Lodges 
have  the  term  "York  Rite"  connected  with  their  ritual, 
although  the  ancient  York  Rite  in  its  purity  is  now  no- 
where cultivated.  In  England  the  degree  Holy  Royal 
Arch  and  Order  of  Knights  Templar,  and  a  ceremony  of 
installation  have  been  added,  making,  according  to  the 
definitions  heretofore  cited,  a  new  rite.  In  Scotland  the 
order  of  Red  Cross  intervenes  between  the  Royal  Arch 
degree  and  Templars  Order,  and  in  Ireland  two  degrees, 
the  Excellent  and  Super  Excellent  Master,  come  before 
the  Arch,  and  in  both  countries  the  Mark  and  Past  are 
called  "  Chair  degrees."  And  yet  we  hear  the  term 
York  Rite  applied  to  the  systems  practiced  in  each  of 
those  countries,  as  well  as  that  practiced  in  the  United 
States,  either  the  application  of  the  term  or  the  definitions 
given  by  Drs.  Oliver  and  Mackey  are  wrong.  It  is  true 
that  the  Master  Mason  of  any  of  the  various  rites  will 


COINCIDENCES  WITH   THE  MYSTERIES.  257 

be  received  as  a  visitor  in  the  corresponding  body  of  any 
other  rite. 

The  second,  the  French  or  Modern  Rite,  of  which  the 
series  of  degrees  are  given  in  a  preceding  page,  was  es- 
tablished in  France  A.  D.  1786.  The  Grand  Orient  of 
France,  unwilling  to  destroy  entirely  the  high  degrees, 
arid  yet  anxious  to  reduce  them  to  a  smaller  number  and 
to  a  greater  simplicity,  slightly  modified  degrees  found 
in  several  of  the  rites  then  practiced,  and  adopted  them. 
This  rite  is  only  cultivated  in  France  and  some  of  its  de- 
pendencies. 

The  third,  or  Ancient  and  Accepted  Scottish  Rite,  is 
more  extensively  cultivated  than  either  of  the  others. 
While  each  country  has  a  rite  peculiar  to  itself,  yet  all 
cultivate  this  rite  to  a  greater  or  less  extent,  and  it  is 
the  only  masonic  rite,  as  a  whole,  that  may  bo  termed  cos- 
mopolitan. The  full  history  of  this  rite  would  involve 
an  examination  into  the  origin  and  history  of  the  degrees 
which  were,  if  not  created,  at  least  first  promulgated  in 
the  earlier  part  of  the  eighteenth  century.  In  this  con- 
nection it  is  sufficient  to  remark,  that  eight  degrees  were 
added  to  the  rite  of  Perfection,  transposing  one  of  the 
degrees  and  giving  the  system  the  name  by  which  it  is 
now  known.  Whether  this  addition  was  made  by  Fred- 
erick king  of  Prussia  or  arranged  in  Paris,  Guadalupe, 
St.  Domingo,  or  Charleston,  South  Carolina  (all  of  which 
have  been  claimed)  is  foreign  to  our  present  purpose  to 
investigate. 

The  fourth,  the  Webb  or  American  Rite  as  it  is 
sometimes  termed,  is  cultivated  in  the  United  States  only. 
The  series  of  degrees  composing  this  rite  have  heretofore 
been  enumerated  in  this  chapter.  Accepting  the  defini- 
tion of  the  masonic  term  rite  as  given  by  the  highest  ma 


258  TRADITIQNS   OF   FREEMASONRY. 

sonic  authorities  in  Europe  and  America,  the  name  ap- 
plied to  the  system  practiced  in  the  United  States  is  the 
correct  one,  because  it  was  here  first  promulgated. 

Jeremy  L.  Cross,  who  was  contemporaneous  with 
Thomas  Smith  Webb,  and  who  was  the  first  to  use  embel- 
lishments in  instruction  books,  says,  in  his  Monitor :  "  It 
was  at  this  period  (1810)  that  the  author  commenced 
lecturing  in  the  New  England  States,  with  all  those 
bright  and  well-informed  Masons  who  had  been  so  assid- 
uous in  selecting  and  arranging  the  system  which  was 
adopted  by  THEM  as  most  correct.  Taking  the  *  Ancient 
York  Rite '  for  a  standard,  they  selected  from  the  '  Scot- 
tish Rite }  those  things  which  approximate  to  the  former  ; 
and  out  of  the  two  systems  they  formed  a  very  perfect  and 
complete  set  of  lectures  which  are  beautiful  in  themselves,  and 
have  been  preserved  entire  to  the  present  hour  (1851)." 

Here  we  have  the  distinct,  emphatic  and  public  decla- 
ration of  the  arrangement  of  a  new  system  of  degrees. 
Again,  we  have  both  written  and  printed  evidence  that 
previous  to  A.  D.  1797,  a  different  system,  or  rather  sys- 
tems, were  cultivated  from  that  which  was  practiced  after 
that  date. 

The  American  system  of  Masonry  is  sometimes  termed 
the  Webb  Rite,  because  it  was  first  presented  to  the 
world  by  Thomas  Smith  Webb  in  his  "  Freemason's  Mon- 
itor" of  A.  D.  1797.  Whether  Webb  was  one  of  the  par- 
ties included  among  "  THEM,"  alluded  to  by  Cross,  is  left 
to  conjecture ;  but  as  Cross  always  claimed  that  his  au- 
thority to  lecture  came  from  Webb,  and  as  the  first  notice 
we  have  any  where  of  the  series  of  degrees  was  published 
by  him,  and  from  the  zeal  and  activity  he  displayed  in 
disseminating  them,  his  memory  should  be  honored  by 
designating  the  system  as  the  Webb  Rite. 


COINCIDENCES   WITH   THE   MYSTERIES.  259 

The  fourth,  or  first  of  the  capitular  degrees,  is  known 
by  the  name  of  Mark  Master  Mason.  It  has  been 
claimed  by  masonic  writers  and  lecturers  that  the  Mark 
was  originally  a  part  of  the  Fellow  Craft's  degree,  and 
that  it  had  been  severed  from  the  latter  as  the  Royal 
Arch  has  been  from  the  Master's,  introducing  some  new 
eerernonies  in  each  case.  The  arguments  upon  which 
their  opinions  are  based  are  of  necessity  esoteric.  The 
same  reasons  might  with  perfect  propriety  be  adduced  to 
Sustain  a  claim  that  the  degree  of  Royal  Master  was  also 
a  part  of  the  old  degree  of  Fellow  Craft.  Certainly,  at 
no  period  since  the  revival  of  Masonry,  A.  D.  1717,  has 
the  ceremony  or  ritual  of  the  Fellow  Craft  degree  as 
practiced  anywhere,  assimilated  to  the  ceremony  or  ritual 
of  any  of  the  degrees  known  by  the  name  of  Mark.  We 
have  no  classification  of  degrees  in  which  the  term  Mark 
occurs  previous  to  A.  D.  1786  ;  and  if  the  degree  of  Mark 
Master  was  originally  a  part  of  the  degree  of  Fellow 
Craft,  it  must  have  been  severed  from  it  previous  to  A. 
D.  17 IT.  "What  became  of  it  the  next  seventy  years  ? 

That  it  might  have  been  arranged  as  concluding  sec- 
tions, or  intermingled  with  the  Fellow  Craft  degree,  is 
true  ;  and  if  so,  its  severance  would  not  have  detracted 
from  the  merits  of  that  grade.  And  so,  too,  the  Most 
Excellent  Master,  the  Royal  Arch,  the  Select  Master,  the 
Royal  Master,  and  Knight  of  the  Red  Cross,  could  either 
or  each  have  been  included  in  either  the  degrees  of  Fel- 
low Craft  or  Master  Mason  without  changing  their  char- 
acter.  And  so  in  all  rites,  circumstances  alluded  to  in 
one  degree  are  made  the  basis  of  and  elaborated  in  an 
advanced  degree. 

Among  the  workmen  engaged  in  the  erection  of  the 
temple  at  Jerusalem,  and  its  ornaments  and  furniture, 


260  TRADITIONS   OF   FREEMASONRY. 

were  undoubtedly  three  classes  of  what  we  term  Fellow 
Crafts.  First,  those  who  wrought  in  the  quarries  of 
Zeredatha  ;  second,  those  who  were  employed  in  the  for- 
ests of  Lebanon ;  and  third,  those  who  worked  in  the 
clayey  ground  on  the  Jordan,  between  Succoth  and  Zere- 
datha ;  the  first  class  are  those  alluded  to  in  the  degree 
of  Mark  Master. 

Among  the  detached  degrees  that  are  or  have  been 
cultivated  in  Europe,  having  the  term  Mark  connected 
with  the  name,  are  Mark  Man ;  Mark  Master ;  Ark, 
Mark  and  Link  ;  Knight  of  the  Christian  Mark ;  and 
Knight  of  the  Black  Mark  ;  each  of  them  are  entirely  dif- 
ferent in  ceremony,  history  and  ritual  from  the  degree 
under  consideration. 

The  regular  degrees  of  the  Ancient  and  Accepted  Rite 
have  been  enumerated  in  this  chapter.  "  Besides  those 
degrees,'7  said  Dr.  Dalcho,  in  an  address  before  the  Grand 
Lodge  of  South  Carolina,  in  A.  D.  1807,  speaking  of  this 
rite,  "  which  are  in  regular  succession,  most  of  the  In- 
spectors are  in  possession  of  a  number  of  detached  de- 
grees, given  in  different  parts  of  the  world."  Among 
the  detached  degrees,  and  over  which  the  Supreme  Coun- 
cil claimed  jurisdiction,  were  the  Master  Mark  Mason, 
the  Select  and  Royal  Master. 

The  rituals  of  these  degrees  were  deposited  in  the 
archives  of  the  Supreme  Council  in  February,  A.  D.  1786, 
by  Joseph  Myers.  Where  he  obtained  them  we  have  no 
means  of  knowing.  He  at  the  same  time  deposited  rituals 
of  the  degrees  of  the  rite  of  Perfection  ;  but  the  degrees 
named  were  never  enumerated  in  that  rite ;  in  fact,  we 
can  find  no  allusion  to  them  in  any  list  of  degrees  pub- 
lished previous  to  A.  D.  1786. 

An  examination  of  the  ritual  of  the  Master  Mark 


COINCIDENCES  WITH  THE   MYSTERIES.  261 

8  degree  proves  conclusively  that  the  degree  of 
Mark  Master,  now  practiced,  was  arranged  from  it.  The 
differences  between  the  two  rituals  are  but  trivial.  The 
names  of  the  officers  differ,  but  their  duties  and  stations 
are  the  same.  The  clothing  belonging  to  the  former 
degree  was  a  yellow  collar  and  a  white  apron  edged  with 
yellow  and  red  •  in  the  area  of  the  apron  a  representa- 
tion of  the  cubic  stone,  and  on  the  stone,  in  a  circular 
form,  the  letters  H.  T.  W.  S.  S.  T.  K.  S. ;  the  same  let- 
ters were  engraved  upon  the  jewel,  which  was  of  circular 
form,  surmounted  with  the  jewel  of  a  Past  Master  ;  in  the 
centre  of  the  jewel  the  private  mark  of  the  owner  was 
engraved,  and,  having  adopted  a  mark,  it  could  never  be 
changed  or  altered. 

The  degree  was  conferred  by  the  Inspectors,  or  in  a 
lodge,  but  only  upon  those  who  had  been  a  Master  of  a 
lodge.  In  the  ceremonies,  the  "  working  tool"  was  a 
hod,  in  which  a  cubic  and  some  imperfect  stones  were 
placed.  The  methods  of  recognition  were  retained  with 
the  exception  of  the  word  ;  others  were  substituted  for  it, 
and  it  transferred  to  another  degree.  Key-stone — para- 
ble of  the  householder  and  chisel  and  mallet — were  the 
changes  made  by  those  who  arranged  the  American  sys- 
tem, while  "  over  the  left"  and  the  closing  charge  were 
retained,  the  latter  verbatim,  as  found  in  Webb's  Free- 
mason's Monitor. 

The  degree  we  cultivate  is  none  the  less  beautiful  or 
advantageous  from  having  been  arranged  so  lately,  in 
comparison  with  the  first  three.  A  dollar  is  not  the  less 
valuable  from  having  been  issued  from  the  mint  to-day, 
and  a  truth,  if  such  it  be,  is  no  more  a  truth  from  having 
been  uttered  thousands  of  years  since  or  at  the  present 
time.  So  of  this  degree  ;  it  is  equally  instructive,  equally 


262  TRADITIONS    OF    FREEMASONRY. 

worthy  of  our  attention,  whether  arranged  by  Hiram 
Abif  or  Thomas  Smith  Webb  ;  it  is  not  the  antiquity  of 
this  degree  that  renders  it  valuable,  but  the  great  moral 
lessons  it  inculcates,  and  the  truths  which  it  so  attract- 
ively presents  to  the  mind. 

The  degree  of  Mark  Master  is  considered  as  applica- 
ble to  those  workmen  employed  by  King  Solomon,  who 
wrought  in  the  quarries  of  Zeredatha  in  hewing,  squar- 
ing, marking  and  numbering  the  stones  got  out  for  the 
building  of  the  temple  at  Jerusalem.  These  workmen, 
tradition  says,  were  eighty  thousand  in  number. 

To  regulate  and  control  such  a  vast  body  of  men  ;  to 
detect  the  indolent  and  negligent ;  prevent  peculation 
and  dishonesty ;  to  insure  that  the  honest  and  skillful 
workman  should  be  rewarded,  and  the  indolent,  negli- 
gent or  dishonest  should  be  punished  ;  to  prevent  con- 
fusion and  discord,  and  secure  peace  and  harmony  ;  and 
to  insure  that  each  piece  of  work  prepared  at  long  dis- 
tances from  the  site  of  the  proposed  building  might  be 
fitted  with  the  exact  nicety  required — all  this  demanded 
a  peculiar  system.  The  traditions  of  the  means  employed 
by  King  Solomon  and  Hiram  Abif  to  accomplish  these 
purposes,  have  been  interwoven  in  and  forms  the  basis 
of  the  degree  of  Mark  Master  Mason,  which  is  the  most 
simple  and  beautiful  degree  of  the  American  system. 

Tradition  says  that  the  workmen  at  the  Temple  of  Sol- 
omon were  divided  into  classes  ;  to  each  class  was  made 
known  certain  signals,  by  which  they  could  recognize 
each  other  at  all  times  ;  these  signals  they  were  solemnly 
bound  not  to  make  known  to  the  other  classes,  that 
privilege  was  reserved  to  the  three  principals.  Each 
class  was  subdivided  into  companies  or  lodges  of  eighty 
each,  over  which  presided  one  Mark  Master  as  Master, 


COINCIDENCES    WITH    THE   MYSTERIES.  263 

and  two  Mark  Men  as  "Wardens,  to  distribute  the  marks 
by  which  the  work  of  each  lodge  or  company  was  to  be 
authenticated. 

To  each  lodge  was  assigned  a  certain  square  or  angle  1 
within  which  to  confine  their  work,  and  each  was  bound  1 
to  render  assistance  to  another,  within  his  square  or  angle 
only,  when  required.      That  the  indolent  or  negligent . 
workman  might  be  detected,  or  the  workman  upon  faulty 
or  imperfect  parts  known,  a  wise  provision  was  adopted. 
Each  of  the  craftsmen  was  obliged  to  select  a  device,  and 
put  a  copy  of  it  upon  all  his  work  ;  this  device  or  mark 
was  recorded  in  a  book  kept  for  that  purpose.    When 
recorded,  the  mark,  which  could  not  thereafter  be  altered 
or  changed,  answered  as  a  double  name. 

Another  tradition  says  that,  "  at  the  building  of  King 
Solomon's  Temple,  certain  persons  were  appointed  called 
Mark  Men,  whose  business  it  was  to  put  a  private  mark 
upon  the  materials  as  they  came  out  of  the  hands  of  the 
workmen  in  their  respective  lodges,  that  every  man's 
work  might  be  known,  and  that  no  false  mark  might  be 
placed  upon  an  imperfect  stone,  and  also  to  enable  them 
to  put  together  the  materials  with  greater  facility  and 
precision  when  conveyed  from  the  quarries  to  the  holy 
mountain  of  Moriah.  These  marks  consisted  of  certain 
mathematical  figures — the  square,  the  cross,  the  level, 
and  the  perpendicular,  differently  modified,  which  King 
Solomon  directed  to  be  used  for  the  above  purpose,  and 
have  since  been  denominated  the  Freemason's  secret 
alphabet  or  cipher.  The  same  system  was  transmitted 
by  the  Dionysian  architects  ;  who  travelled  in  search  of 
employment." 

"  The  monumental  figures  and  inscriptions  of  Egypt 
prove  that  this  arrangement  was  not  confined  to  King 


264  TRADITIONS   OF  FREEMASONRY. 

Solomon's  Temple.  This  previous  squaring  and  prepa- 
ration of  stones  is  delineated  frequently  ;  they  are  accu- 
rately marked  under  the  superintendence  of  a  principal 
architect,  the  shape  marked  on  the  rough  block  with  a 
dark  line  so  as  to  determine  the  course  of  the  stone-cutter 
accurately,  and  a  mark  or  nuinber  is  fixed  to  the  finished 
stone  so  as  to  point  out  its  place  in  the  building." 

History  confirms  the  truth  of  these  traditions,  because 
it  abundantly  shows  that  a  similar  usage  has  always 
existed  among  operative  Masons.  These  marks  have 
been  found  at  Strasburg,  Spire,  Worms,  Rheims,  Basle, 
and  in  many  other  places.  A  French  writer,  M.  Didron, 
who  had  collected  a  large  number  of  marks,  divides  them 
in  two  classes,  those  of  the  overseers  and  those  who 
worked  the  stones. 

The  fortress  of  Allahabad  in  the  East  Indies  was  raised 
in  A.  D.  1542  ;  the  walls  of  which  are  composed  of  large 
oblong  blocks  of  red  granite,  and  are  almost  every  where 
covered  by  masonic  emblems.  These  marks  are  not 
confined  to  any  particular  spot,  but  are  scattered  over 
the  walls  of  the  fortress.  It  is  certain  that  thousands  of 
stones  on  the  walls  bearing  these  masonic  symbols  were 
carved,  marked  and  numbered  in  the  quarry,  previous  to 
the  erection  of  the  building. 

In  the  ancient  buildings  of  England,  France,  Germany 
and  Central  America,  these  marks  are  found  in  great 
abundance,  and  have  a  great  harmony  in  their  design. 
They  are,  in  fact,  in  many  cases  identical,  and  have  in  all 
a  singular  accordance  in  character  ;  and  seem  to  show 
that  the  men  who  carved  them  did  so  by  system,  and 
that  the  system  was  the  same  in  all  countries  where  such 
marks  have  been  found,  and  in  all  ages. 

"  Hiram  Abif,  having  so  heavy  a  charge  upon  him,  knew 


COINCIDENCES  WITH  THE  MYSTERIES.  265 

that  it  would  be  impossible  for  him  alone,  to  direct  and 
superintend  such  an  immense  number  of  workmen  as  were 
employed  in  the  building  of  the  temple.  He  therefore 
appointed  overseers  to  the  different  classes.  He  was 
careful  to  select  those  only  whose  characters  were  irre- 
proachable, and  in  whom  the  utmost  confidence  could  be 
placed.  He  was  particularly  attached  to  the  Giblimites, 
or  stone-cutters,  whom  he  formed  into  a  body,  and  from 
whom  the  overseers  were  selected." 

"  At  a  certain  specified  time  in  each  week  the  crafts- 
men were  obliged  to  present  to  the  overseers,  for  inspec- 
tion, specimens  of  their  work.  Such  as  were  perfect  and 
in  accordance  with  the  designs  furnished  were  credited 
to  the  mark  carved  upon  the  work,  and  the  owners  of 
the  mark  were  entitled  to  wages  ;  that  which  was  faulty 
or  imperfect  was  rejected  and  HOVE  OVER  (left)  among 
the  rubbish  ;  there  being  no  credits  affixed  to  the  mark, 
if  the  owner  attempted  to  receive  wages  he  was  at  once 
detected." 

"  The  workmen  were  paid  on  the  evening  of  every  sixth 
day  and  at  a  particular  place.  The  officer  who  paid 
them  had  the  book  of  marks  before  him  ;  the  craftsman 
presented  a  copy  of  his  mark  in  a  peculiar  manner,  known 
only  to  that  class  who  were  in  possession  of  a  mark  ; 
the  wages  due  the  mark  were  paid.  If  any  person  sur- 
reptitiously possessed  himself  of  a  mark  and  presented 
himself  to  receive  the  wages  due  that  particular  mark, 
without  giving  the  mystic  sign,  he  was  instantly  detected 
and  punished ;  or,  if  one  presented  a  mark  demanding 
wages  when  none  were  due,  he  was  also  detected  and 
suffered  the  penalty." 

"  To  prevent  confusion  and  imposition  among  the 
classes,  the  Giblimites  were  ordered  to  provide  for  them- 
12 


266  TRADITIONS    OF    FREEMASONRY. 

selves  each  a  particular  mark,  when  they  went  up  to  re- 
ceive their  pay,  they  placed  their  mark Hiram 

Abif,  to  distinguish  this  favored  class  of  workmen,  caused 
each  of  them  to  wear  a  medal,  on  which  was  engraved 
their  particular  mark  or  device.  Above  the  mark  was 
the  compasses  extended  to  sixty  degrees,  with  the  sun  in 
the  centre,  as  an  emblem  of  their  duty  ;  that  is,  to  rise 
with  that  luminary  to  attend  to  their  avocations. 

As  none  were  permitted  to  be  employed  in  preparing 
materials  for  the  Sanctum  Sanctorum  but  the  Mark  Ma- 
sons, the  attachment  of  Hiram  Abif  to  this  class  of 
workmen  created  great  jealousy  among  the  rest  of  the 
workmen.  They  had  often  observed  that  at  a  certain 
hoar  in  each  week  the  Mark  Masons  would  go  to  a  par- 
ticular chamber,  and  when  they  came  away  they  always 
had  received  money.  This  circumstance  led  some  of  the 
other  craftsmen  to  watch  for  an  opportunity  of  procuring 
a  mark  from  some  of  the  Mark  Masons,  by  some  device 
or  other.  An  opportunity  of  this  kind  sometimes  occur- 
red from  the  neglect  and  inattention  of  the  owners  ;  they 
seized  the  chance  thus  offered,  presented  themselves  to 
the  office  of  the  Treasurer-General,  but,  not  knowing  the 
mystic  mode  of  receiving  wages,  they  always  paid  dear 
for  their  villainy.  The  moment  they  felt  the  money  in 

their  hands,  they  would which  proved  their 

fraud,  when  immediately  a  sharp-edged  tool,  which  was 
suspended fell,  and and  they  were  im- 
mediately discharged  with  this  indelible  mark  of  dis- 
grace, to  be  execrated  by  all  honest  and  virtuous  men." 

"  By  this,  and  a  variety  of  other  means,  did  the  Chief 
Superintendent  regulate  such  an  immense  number  of 
workmen  without  the  least  confusion  ;  each  knew  the 
duty  he  had  to  perform  and  did  it  cheerfully.  By  his 


COINCIDENCES  WITH   THE   MYSTERIES.  267 

•vigilance  and  attention  was  that  superb  model  of  excel- 
lence, the  Temple  of  Solomon,  erected,  enriched  and  dec- 
orated in  all  its  parts,  and  all  the  utensils  for  the 
worship  of  ALMIGHTY  GOD  completed  in  little  more  than 
seven  years." 

"  To  the  Giblimites  was  intrusted  the  building  of  the 
Holy  of  Holies,  and  to  this  class  was  Hiram  Abif  partic- 
ularly attached  ;  they  were  selected  for  their  superior 
skill,  assiduity,  virtue  and  integrity  ;  but  the  last  stone 
in  this  part  of  the  building  he  fashioned  himself.  It  was 
to  be  of  peculiar  shape  and  dimensions  ;  but  before  .  .  . 
...  it  was  discovered  that  a  stone  of  a  peculiar  shape 
was  required  to  complete  the  secret  vault.  Upon  inquiry 
it  was  ascertained  that  none  of  the  craftsmen  had  re- 
ceived orders  to  fashion  such  a  shaped  stone  ;  upon  fur- 
ther and  more  minute  inquiry  it  Avas  ascertained  that  a 
peculiar  shaped  stone,  having  a  mark  unknown  to  the 
overseers,  had  been  presented  to  them  for  inspection,  and 
by  them  had  been  rejected  as  unfit  for  use,  and  thrown 
among  the  rubbish." 

"  The  men  were  paid  by  shekels,  a  silver  coin  of  about 
fifty-four  cents  of  our  money  ;  and  the  number  of  shekels 
per  day  was  regulated  by  the  square  of  the  number  of 
the  degree  which  each  order  of  men  had  attained." 

The  foregoing  traditions  the  brethren  of  the  seven- 
teenth century  recited  on  different  occasions  and  believed 
them  true,  and  from  them,  at  a  later  period,  the  degree, 
under  consideration  was  probably  arranged. 

Solomon  was  not  only  indebted  to  the  Phoenicians  for 
mechanics  but  also  for  a  large  amount  of  materials  where- 
with to  erect  the  temple.  We  find  in  2  Chronicles  ii.  8, 
in  the  letter  of  Solomon  to  Hiram  king  of  Tyre,  "  Send 
me  also  cedar  trees,  fir  trees,  and  algum  trees  out  of  Leb» 


268  TRADITIONS   OF   FREEMASONRY. 

anon  ;"  and  in  verse  16th  of  the  same  chapter,  in  Hi' 
ram's  reply,  he  says  :  "  And  we  will  cut  wood  out  of 
Lebanon,  as  much  as  thou  shalt  need,  and  we  will  bring 
it  to  thee  in  floats  by  sea  to  Joppa,  and  thou  shalt  carry 
it  up  to  Jerusalem." 

In  like  manner,  when  Zerubbabel  was  about  to  build 
the  second  temple,  materials  were  furnished  by  the  Phoe- 
nicians. We  find  in  Ezra  iii.  7  :  "  They  gave  money  also 
unto  the  masons,  and  to  the  carpenters  ;  and  meat,  and 
drink,  and  oil,  unto  them  of  Zidon,  and  to  them  of  Tyre, 
to  bring  cedar  trees  from  Lebanon  to  the  sea  of  Joppa, 
according  to  the  grant  that  they  had  of  Cyrus  king  of 
Persia." 

There  is  an  old  tradition  among  Masons  "  that  the 
banks  of  the  sea  at  Joppa  was  so  steep  that  none  could 
ascend  without  assistance  ;  such  assistance  was  rendered 
by  brethren  stationed  ou  the  heights  above  them  for  that 
purpose.-' 

Joppa,  according  to  tradition,  was  one  of  the  most  an- 
cient cities  in  the  world.  It  has  been  supposed  that  it 
existed  even  before  the  Deluge,  and  there  is  a  tradition 
among  the  Jews  that  it  was  the  place  where  Noah  built 
the  Ark.  Profane  authors  think  it  derived  its  name 
from  Jopa,  the  daughter  of  JEoltis  and  wife  of  Cepheus, 
who  founded  it.  The  rock  to  which  fable  says  that  An- 
dromeda, daughter  of  Cepheus,  was  fastened,  when  ex- 
posed to  be  devoured  by  the  sea  monster,  and  from  which 
she  was  delivered  by  Perseus,  was  shown  there,  together 
with  the  ribs  of  the  sea  monster.  It  is  probable  that  the 
fable  of  Andromeda  was  forged  from  Jonah's  adventure, 
who,  having  embarked  at  Joppa,  was  cast  into  the  sea 
and  swallowed  by  a  sea  monster. 

The  present  inhabitants  have  a  tradition  that  it  was 


COINCIDENCES  WITH   THE   MYSTERIES.  2G9 

founded  by  Japlieth  the  son  of  Noah,  and  from  him  to  have 
taken  the  name  Japho,  afterward  Joppa,  and  now  Jaffa. 
The  city  was  situated  on  a  high  plain  about  forty  miles 
westerly  from  Jerusalem,  between  Jamnia  south,  Cesarea 
of  Palestine  north,  Rama  or  Ramula  east,  and  on  the  west 
it  was  washed  by  the  Mediterranean  Sea. 

At  the  era  of  the  building  of  Solomon's  Temple,  Joppa 
was  the  only  seaport  in  possession  of  the  Jews.  This 
fact  serves  to  confirm  the  tradition  that  all  persons  de- 
sirous of  leaving  the  Hebrew  country  by  sea,  were  com- 
pelled to  take  their  departure  from  the  port  of  Joppa, 

The  coast  is  rocky  and  nearly  perpendicular,  the  rocks 
projecting  for  some  distance  into  the  sea  make  it  ex- 
tremely dangerous  to  mariners,  and  it  is  said  to  be  the 
most  difficult  of  access  of  any  port  on  the  Mediterranean 
coast.  It  was  at  one  time  the  seat  of  a  vast  amount  of 
commerce  from  its  proximity  to  Jerusalem.  It  was  from 
this  port  that  the  vessels  of  the  Israeli tish  kings  sailed 
to  Ethiopia,  Tarshish  and  Ophir. 

In  view  of  the  mechanical  powers  of  the  present  day, 
we  read  of  the  prodigious  dimensions  of  the  stones  used 
by  the  ancients  in  the  construction  of  their  palaces,  tem- 
ples and  obelisks,  with  surprise.  In  the  record  relative 
to  Solomon's  house  we  read  (1  Kings,  vii.  10)  :  "  And  the 
foundation  was  of  costly  stones,  even  great  stones  ; 
stones  of  ten  cubits,  and  stones  of  eight  cubits."  These 
measures  are  undoubtedly  recorded  as  being  remarkable  ; 
ten  cubits  are  in  length  about  seventeen  feet  and  a  half, 
reckoning  the  cubit  at  twenty-one  inches,  and  eight  cu- 
bits are  about  fourteen  feet. 

In  the  ancient  Heliopolis  in  Syria,  according  to  the 
authority  of  Pococke,  the  western  wall  of  the  tem- 
ple contains  three  stones  nearly  twenty  feet  from  the 


270  TRADITIONS   OF   FREEMASONRY. 

ground,  each  of  which  is  upward  of  sixty  feet  long. 
There  is  also  one  single  stone  in  the  adjacent  quarry, 
regularly  squared  and  prepared  for  use,  which  is 
seventy  feet  long,  fourteen  broad,  and  fourteen  and  a 
half  deep. 

Volney  says  of  the  ruins  of  Balbeck  :  "  But  what  is 
still  more  astonishing  is,  the  enormous  stones  which  com- 
pose the  sloping  wall.  To  the  west  the  second  layer  is 
formed  of  stones  which  are  from  twenty-eight  to  thirty- 
five  feet  long,  by  about  nine  in  height.  Over  this  layer, 
at  the  northwest  angle,  there  are  three  stones,  which 
alone  occupy  a  space  of  one  hundred  and  seventy-jive 
feet  and  one-half,  viz.  :  the  first,  fifty-eight  feet  seven 
inches  ;  the  second,  fifty-eight  feet  eleven,  and  the  third, 
exactly  fifty-eight  feet ;  and  each  of  these  are  twelve  feet 
thick.  These  stones  are  of  a  white  granite,  with  large 
shining  flakes  like  gypse.  There  is  a  quarry  of  this  kind 
of  stone  under  the  whole  city,  and  in  the  adjacent  moun- 
tains, which  is  open  in  several  places  ;  and  among  others 
on  the  right  as  we  approach  the  city,  there  is  still  lying 
there  a  stone,  hewn  on  three  sides,  which  is  sixty-nine 
feet  two  inches  long,  twelve  feet  broad,  and  thirteen  feet 
three  inches  in  thickness." 

According  to  Josephus  the  foundation  stones  of  the 
Temple  of  Solomon  were  thirty  feet  long  and  nine  high. 
By  what  means  could  the  ancients  move  such  enormous 
masses,  and  in  some  instances  a  hundred  miles  ?  When 
was  a  knowledge  of  the  mechanical  power  lost  ?  These 
are  problems  curious  to  resolve. 

Modern  discoveries  have  demonstrated  the  fact  that 
the  arch  and  key-stone  was  known  and  in  use  a  long  time 
anterior  to  the  building  of  Solomon's  Temple.  The  Diony- 
sian  artists,  by  whom  the  temple  was  built,  must  have 


COINCIDENCES  WITH  THE  MYSTERIES.  271 

been  acquainted  with  and  used  it  in  their  peregrinations 
through  the  world. 

"  An  opinion,"  says  Mr.  Wilkinson,  in  his  Topography 
of  Thebes,  "  admitted  by  the  generality  of  the  learned 
world,  gains  force  by  want  of  contradiction,  till  at  length 
it  passes  into  fact.  Such  has  been  the  case  with  the  an- 
tiquity of  the  arch,  which,  to  the  surprise  of  every  one 
who  has  attentively  considered  ancient  remains,  has  been 
confined  to  the  era  of  Augustus.  Without  stopping  to 
mention  one  of  the  time  of  Psamaticus  II.,  or  the  prob- 
ability of  its  being  employed  in  the  houses  of  the  Egyp- 
tians from  the  earliest  times,  owing  to  the  small  quantity 
of  wood  growing  in  the  country,  and  in  roofing  the  cham- 
bers of  crude  brick  py ramids,  I  proceed  to  facts,  which  re- 
quire neither  argument  to  support  nor  allow  prejudice  to 
refute  them.  I  had  long  felt  persuaded  that  the  greater 
part  of  the  crude  brick  vaults  in  the  western  tombs  of 
Thebes  were  at  least  coeval  with  the  eighteenth  dynasty, 
but  had  never  been  fortunate  enough  to  find  proofs  to 
support  my  conjecture,  till  chance  threw  in  my  way  a 
tomb  vaulted  in  the  usual  manner,  with  an  arclied  door- 
icay  of  the  same  materials,  stuccoed,  and  bearing  in  every 
part  of  the  fresco-paintings  the  name  of  Amunoph  I. 
Innumerable  vaults  and  arches  exist  at  Thebes  of  early 
date,  but  unfortunately  none  with  the  names  of  kings  re- 
maining on  them.  The  style  of  the  paintings  in  the 
crude  brick  pyramids  evince  at  once  that  they  belong 
either  to  the  last  end  of  the  last  mentioned,  or  the  begin- 
ning of  the  seventeenth  dynasty." 

This  discovery  of  Mr.  Wilkinson  carries  the  existence 
of  the  arch  up  to  B.  c.  1540,  or  four  hundred  and  sixty 
years  before  the  building  of  Solomon's  Temple,  and  he 
thinks  they  were  known  at  a  still  earlier  period. 


272  TRADITIONS   OF   FREEMASONRY. 

Dr.  Clark,  in  his  book  of  Travels,  says  that  "  the  Cy- 
clopean Gallery  of  Tyrius  exhibits  lancet-arches  almost 
as  old  as  the  time  of  Abraham." 

The  Library  of  Entertaining  Knowledge  says  :  "  At 
Zebel  Barkal,  Mr.  Waddington  observed  an  arched  roof 
in  a  portico  attached  to  a  pyramid.  The  only  question 
then  is,  the  antiquity  of  these  particular  Nubian  arches  ; 
for  if  we  admit  that  the  pyramids  of  Nubia,  together 
with  their  porticos,  are  of  higher  antiquity  than  the 
pyramids  of  Egypt,  it  will  be  difficult  to  give  any  prob- 
able reason  why  the  arch  was  not  used,  as  it  might  have 
been,  by  the  Egyptians  in  the  construction  of  their  sacred 
edifices.  Later  discoveries  in  Ethiopia  have  brought  to 
light  arches  regularly  constructed  ivitli  the  key-stone." 

It  was  a  custom  among  ancient  nations,  but  more  par- 
ticularly among  the  Greeks  and  Romans,  when  any  two 
persons  were  desirous  of  perpetuating  the  remembrance 
of  friendship,  to  select  some  durable  substance,  such  as 
metal,  stone,  ivory  or  bone,  upon  which  to  engrave  their 
names  or  some  particular  device ;  then  to  divide  it  into 
two  pieces,  each  taking  one.  This  (tessera  hospitalis,  or 
as  the  Greeks  termed  it  av^oXoy)  pledge  was  carefully 
preserved  as  a  remembrance  of  an  attachment  the  most 
sacred  and  inviolable,  entire  and  permanent,  that  could 
be  formed.  Though  in  itself  considered  of  the  smallest 
pecuniary  worth,  yet,  as  the  memorial  of  a  highly-esteemed 
friend,  it  was  retained  and  handed  down  from  generation 
to  generation  even  to  remote  posterity ;  and  whenever 
or  wherever  the  two  pieces  were  produced  mutual  as- 
sistance and  protection  was  assured  to  the  holders.  And 
lest  some  one  else  should  take  the  advantage  of  it,  the  pos- 
sessor kept  it  with  great  privacy,  and  cautiously  concealed 
from  every  one  the  name  or  mark  engraved  upon  it. 


COINCIDENCES  WITH  THE  MYSTERIES.  273 

History  furnishes  us  with  several  evidences  of  the  ven 
eration  with  which  the  ancients  regarded  the  tesserae. 
Plautus,  in  one  of  his  comedies,  introduces  Poenulus  in- 
quiring for  Agorastocles  with  whose  family  he  had  for- 
merly exchanged  the  tesserae ;  and  in  Homer's  Iliad  we 
have  an  account  of  the  meeting  on  the  field  of  battle  be- 
tween Diomed  and  Glaucus,  whose  ancestors  had  ex- 
changed the  symbol. 

In  this,  the  tessera  hospitatis,  we  find  the  original  of 
the  jewel  of  the  Mark  Master  of  the  present  age. 

It  is  the  lot  of  humanity  to  be  exposed  to  misfortunes, 
and  happy  are  they  who  possess  the  means  of  communi- 
cating their  wants  and  their  wishes  to  those  who  feel  an 
interest  in  affording  them  relief.  The  Mark  Master  Ma- 
son possesses  these  means.  Should  he  be  overwhelmed  by 
sickness  or  other  misfortunes  ;  should  he  even  be  locked 
up  from  the  light  of  day  and  the  blessings  of  society  in 
the  cell  of  a  dark  and  dismal  dungeon,  without  a  kind 
friend  to  whom  he  might  portray  with  paternal  feeling 
the  distress  of  his  family  starving  by  his  imprisonment ; 
perhaps  he  is  deprived  of  the  means  of  writing  to  those 
who  would  assist  him  if  they  but  knew  his  situation  ;  his 
mark  is  the  talisman  which  renders  writing  needless  ;  lie 
sends  it  to  a  Mark  Master,  who  instantly  obeys  the 
summons  and  flies  to  his  relief  with  a  heart  warmed  by 
the  impulse  of  brotherly  love,  and  leaves  no  exertions 
untried  to  alleviate  his  misfortunes  and  to  render  him 
happy.  Such  are  the  glorious  advantages  to  be  derived 
from  the  possession  of  this  degree. 

In  the  Indian  mysteries,  at  the  conclusion  of  the  cere- 
monies a  new  name  was  given  to  the  candidate,  and  he 
was  invested  in  a  white  robe  and  tiara  and  received  the 
signs,  tokens  and  lectures.  A  cross  was  marked  upon 

19* 


274  TRADITIONS   OF  FREEMASONRY. 

his  forehead,  and  an  inverted  level  or  the  tau-cross  upon 
his  breast.  He  received  the  sacred  cord  and  divers  am- 
ulets or  talismans,  and  was  then  invested  with  the  sacred 
word  or  sublime  name,  known  only  to  the  initiated,  the 
Triliteral  A.  U.  M. 

We  are  taught  in  this  degree  not  only  the  beauty  but 
the  necessity  of  order,  regularity,  punctuality  and  disci- 
pline in  all  associations,  and  what  great  results  can  be 
attained  by  their  use.  "  It  teaches  us  that  we  should  dis- 
charge all  the  duties  of  our  several  stations  with  precision 
and  punctuality  ;  that  the  work  of  our  hands  and  the 
thoughts  of  our  hearts  should  be  good  and  true,  not  un- 
finished and  imperfect,  not  sinful  and  defective,  but 
such  as  the  Great  Overseer  and  Judge  of  heaven  and 
earth  will  see  fit  to  approve  as  a  worthy  oblation  from 
his  creatures.  It  holds  forth  to  the  desponding  the  en- 
couraging thought  that,  although  our  motives  may  some- 
times be  misinterpreted  by  our  erring  fellow-mortals,  our 
attainments  be  underrated  and  our  reputations  be  tra- 
duced by  the  envious  and  malicious,  there  is  ONE  at  least 
who  sees  not  with  the  eyes  of  man  ;  but  may  yet  make 
that  stone  which  the  builders  rejected  the  head  of  the 
corner." 

To  the  faithful  craftsman  the  reward  here  is  the  re- 
spect, love  and  gratitude  of  his  brethren.  "  Be  careful, 
my  brother,  that  you  receive  no  wages  here  or  elsewhere 
that  are  not  thy  due  ;  for,  if  thou  dost,  thou  wrongest 
some  one  by  taking  that  which  in  God's  chancery  belongs 
to  him  ;  whether  that  which  thou  takest  thus  be  wealth, 
or  rank,  or  influence,  or  reputation." 

Charity  is  the  chief  of  every  social  virtue,  and  should 
be  the  distinguishing  characteristic  of  Masons,  particu- 
larly of  Mark  Masters.  This  virtue  includes  a  supreme 


COINCIDENCES   WITH   THE   MYSTERIES.  275 

degree  of  love  to  the  Great  Architect  of  the  Universe, 
and  an  unlimited  affection  to  His  creation  of  all  charac- 
ters, of  every  nation  and  of  all  denominations.  Man  has 
not  the  wisdom  to  foresee  nor  the  power  to  prevent  the 
evils  incident  to  human  nature.  He  hangs,  as  it  were,  in 
perpetual  suspense  between  hope  and  fear,  sickness  and 
health,  plenty  and  want.  A  mutual  chain  of  dependence 
subsists  throughout  the  animal  creation.  The  whole  hu- 
man species  are  therefore  proper  objects  for  the  exercise  of 
charity.  Possessed  of  this  virtue,  Masons  are  shocked  at 
misery  under  every  form  and  appearance.  When  he  be- 
holds an  individual  pining  under  the  miseries  of  a  dis- 
tressed body  or  mind,  the  healing  accents  which  flow  from 
the  tongue  mitigate  the  pain  of  the  unhappy  sufferer  and 
make  even  adversity  in  its  most  dismal  shape  look  gay. 
When  his  pity  is  excited  he  assuages  grief  and  cheerfully 
relieves  distress.  If  a  brother  be  in  want,  every  heart  is 
moved  ;  when  he  is  hungry  they  feed  him  ;  when  he  is 
naked  they  clothe  him  ;  when  he  is  in  trouble  they  fly  to 
his  relief.  Thus  Masons  confirm  the  title  they  bear  ; 
and  convince  the  world  at  large  that  brother  among  them 
is  something  more  than  a  name.  To  soothe  calamity,  al- 
leviate misfortune,  compassionate  misery  and  restore 
peace  to  the  troubled  mind  is  particularly  enjoined  upon 
Mark  Master  Masons. 

Of  the  five  senses  two,  hearing  and  feeling,  are  partic- 
ularly alluded  to  in  this  degree. 

"  Hearing  is  that  sense  by  which  we  are  enabled  to 
distinguish  sounds,  and  are  made  capable  of  all  the  per- 
ceptions of  harmony  and  melody.  By  it  we  are  enabled 
to  enjoy  the  pleasures  of  society,  and  reciprocally  to  com- 
municate to  each  other  our  thoughts  and  intentions,  our 
purposes  and  desires  ;  and  by  means  of  this  sense  our 


276  TRADITIONS    OF    FREEMASONRY. 

reason  is  capable  of  exerting  its  utmost  power  and, 
energy." 

By  that  of  feeling  we  are  enabled  to  detect  a  brother 
even  without  sight  or  hearing. 

When  the  calamities  of  a  brother  call  for  our  aid,  we 
should  not  withdraw  the  hand  that  might  sustain  him 
from  sinking  ;  but  we  should  render  him  such  service  as, 
without  encumbering  or  injuring  our  families,  charity 
may  dictate  for  the  saving  of  our  fellow-creatures.  He 
that  is  deaf  to  the  sufferings  of  a  brother,  deserves 
no  better  fate  than  to  be  deprived  of  the  great  bless- 
ing of  hearing ;  and  he  who  is  so  callous  to  the  wants 
of  his  brother  as  to  refuse  to  stretch  forth  his  hand 
to  alleviate  his  sufferings,  deserves  to  have  no  hand  to 
help  himself. 

In  conclusion,  this  degree  typifies  the  trial  of  the  Great 
Day,  when  every  man's  work  will  be  proved,  whether  it  be 
good  or  bad.  That  which  is  imperfect  will  be  cast  out 
as  unfit  for  the  New  Jerusalem,  into  whicli  nothing  can 
enter  "  that  worketh  abomination  or  maketh  a  lie." 


CHAPTER  XII. 


PAST   MASTER. 

INTRODUCTORY  —  Originally  a  Ceremony  of  Installation  —  Masonry  brought 
to  this  Country  from  England,  A.  D.  1730—  Only  Three  Degrees  Known 

—  Two  Classes  of  Past  Masters  —  ACTUAL  PAST  MASTERS  —  Earliest  Au- 
thorized Masonic  Publications  —  Ancient  Masons  opposed  to  Printing 
Masonic  Matter  —  Old  Documents  Destroyed  —  Masonry  Progressive  — 
Annual  General  Assembly  of  Masons  —  Operative  Masons  —  Four  Old 
Lodges — Changes  in  the  Regulations  —  Secret  Ceremony  of  Installa- 
tion—  Masonic  Government  Threefold  —  Mysteries  had  the  same  Gov- 
ernment —  Examples     in    the    Mysteries    of    Greece,   Persia,    India, 
Gothic  and  Druidical  —  Rights,  etc.,  belong  to  the  Office  and  not  to  the 
Degree —  Characteristics  Required  iu  a  Master — Mistakes  made  in  the 
Selection  —  Position  should  not  be  Lightly  Accepted  — Implements  Pre- 
sented to  the  Master  in  Ancient  Times  —  VIRTUAL  PAST  MASTERS — • 
Revival  A.  D.  1717  —  Discoveries  Made  —  Necessity  of  New  Degrees 

—  Passed  the  Chair  —  Authority  to  do  so  Questioned  —  Term  Past  Mas- 
ter first  Used  in  A.  D.  1797  —  The  Difference  between  the  Ceremony 
and  Degree  not  Understood  —  Privileges  of  Actual  Past  Masters  —  Dif- 
ference between  the  Ceremony  and  the  Degree  —  Object  of  the  Degree 

—  Tradition  of  the  Giblimites  —  Giblimites  from  Gebal  or  Byblos  — 
Chisel  and  Mallet  formerly  belonged  to  the  Masters  of  Lodges  —  Con- 
clusion. 

THE  true  Mason  is  an  ardent  seeker  after  knowledge, 
and  he  knows  that  books  are  vessels  which  conic  down 
to  us  full  freighted  with  the  intellectual  relics  of  the  past ; 
and  that  in  the  lading  of  these  argosies  is  much  that 
sheds  light  upon  the  history  of  Masonry,  and  proves  its 
claims  to  be  regarded  as  the  great  benefactor  of  mankind. 

The  second  of  the  capitular  degrees  in  the  American 
Rite  is  called  Past  Master  ;  this  degree  has  caused  more 
discussion  in  masonic  circles  than  all  others  in  the  series. 
It  was  not  regarded  as  a  degree  until  long  after  the  es- 

(270) 


280  TRADITIONS   OF   FREEMASONRY. 

tablishnient  of  the  degree  of  Holy  Royal  Arch  ;  it  was 
then  brought  into  notice  because  being  a  Past  or  Former 
Master  was  one  of  the  pre-requisites  to  the  attainment 
of  the  latter  degree.  Originally  it  was  simply  a  cere- 
mony of  installation  into  office  as  the  presiding  officer  of 
a  lodge,  accompanied  with  the  necessary  instructions  for 
the  conducting  of  public  masonic  ceremonies  and  exer- 
cises. Its  first  advertisement  as  a  degree  is  due  to  the 
genius  of  those  who  concocted  and  arranged  the  "  Ameri- 
can system." 

Our  masonic  readers  will  bear  in  mind  that  the  system 
known  as  Freemasonry  was  brought  to  this  country  from 
England  about  A.  D.  1730,  and  that  in  the  latter  country 
up  to  A.  D.  1740,  there  were  but  three  degrees  recognized 
or  known,  viz.  :  Entered  Apprentice,  Fellow  Craft  and 
Master  Mason. 

There  are  two  classes  of  Masons  upon  whom  this  (hete- 
roclite)  degree  is  conferred.  1st.  Those  who  have  been 
elected  to  preside  over  a  warranted  lodge  of  Free  and 
Accepted  Masons,  and  for  distinction  are  termed  Actual 
Past  Masters,  and  2d.  Those  who  have  been  selected  to 
receive  the  degree  of  Royal  Arch,  and  are  termed  Vir- 
tual Past  Masters.  Each  of  these  will  be  separately 
considered,  that  the  position  and  rights  of  each  may  be 
fully  understood. 

I.    OF    ACTUAL    PAST    MASTERS. —  Owing    to    the 
dearth  of  masonic  writing  previous  to  A.  D.  1772,  our 
knowledge  of  facts  is  meagre.     The  first  authorized  ma- 
sonic publication  was  the  Book  of  Constitutions,  com- 
piled by  James  Anderson,  published  in  A.  D.  1723  ;  in  i* 
various  editions,  as  well  as  in  Dermott's  Ahiman  Bezo 
printed  in  A.  D.  1756,  we  find  little  else  than  the  Regula- 
tions and  Ancient  Charges  of  a  Freemason.     Preston's 


COINCIDENCES  WITH   THE   MYSTERIES.  281 

Illustrations  appeared  in  A.  D.  1772,  and  this  was  the 
first  book  published  containing  monitorial  instructions. 
Since  that  date  publications  upon  masonic  subjects  have 
been  numerous. 

Our  ancient  brethren  were  opposed  to  the  publication 
of  any  matter  relating  to  the  craft.  And  so  deep-seated 
was  this  opposition,  that  in  A.  D.  1720,  when  the  Grand 
Lodge  appointed  a  committee  to  collate  and  publish  the 
Regulations  and  Old  Charges,  many  ancient  and  valuable 
papers  were  burned  for  fear  that  the  committee  might 
gain  access  to  and  print  them  ;  and  it  is  to  the  laborious 
research  of  Dr.  Oliver,  that  we  are  chiefly  indebted  for 
what  knowledge  we  possess  of  the  early  workings  of  the 
craft. 

Masonry  adapts  itself  to  circumstances,  thus  we  have 
a  different  arrangement  from  that  of  our  fathers,  and  yet 
the  landmarks  are  the  same.  In  olden  time,  a  general 
assembly  of  all  the  craft  who  choose  to  attend  was  held 
on  St.  John  the  Evangelist's  Day  ;  at  such  convocations 
general  regulations  were  adopted,  degrees  of  Fellow 
Craft  and  Master  Mason  were  conferred,  and  a  Grand 
Master  elected.  In  the  adoption  of  general  regulations, 
election  of  Grand  Master,  and  disposition  of  matters  af- 
fecting the  welfare  of  the  craft  at  large,  all,  including 
Entered  Apprentices,  had  a  voice  and  a  vote.  It  was 
then  as  remarked  in  the  preceding  chapter  an  operative 
society  ;  and  but  few  of  the  gentleman  Masons  advanced 
beyond  the  degree  of  Entered  Apprentice. 

In  all  ages  the  operative  Masons  have  had  a  secret 
ceremony  of  initiation.  To  this  ceremony,  as  a  mark  of , 
great  or  special  favor  persons  distinguished  for  rank  or 
learning  were  admitted  ;  the  operative  Masons  con- 
trolled the  society,  and  their  laws  were  given  a  symbolic 


282  TRADITIONS   OF   FREEMASONRY. 

character  for  the  government  of  the  secret  association  ; 
these  laws  are  known  to  us  by  the  terms  "  Ancient 
Charges"  and  "  General  Kegulations."  This  secret  sys- 
tem Masons  now  term  "  Speculative  Masonry."  The 
Master  Mason  had  the  inherent  right  to  convene  a  lodge 
at  pleasure,  and  then  and  there  initiate  Entered  Appren- 
tices, that  is,  to  make  his  apprentices  acquainted  with  the 
secret  or  speculative  system.  But  it  was  only  in  the 
General  Assembly  that  such  could  be  advanced. 

The  operative  Masons  were  divided  into  three 
classes  : 

First.  The  Master,  who,  contracted  for  work  and  took 
jobs — in  common  parlance,  the  boss. 

Second.  The  workmen,  who  having  served  their  time 
as  apprentices,  were  entitled  to  wages,  and  privileged 
to  seek  employment  at  pleasure — Fellow  Crafts  ;  one 
of  whom  was  selected  as  foreman —  Warden  ;  whose 
business  it  was  to  assist  the  Master  in  the  management 
of  the  men  and  work,  and  in  his  absence,  to  have  charge 
of  both ;  and 

Third.  Entered  Apprentices,  who  were  regularly  in- 
dentured, as  appears  from  the  old  glee  : 

"  I  was  bound,  it  appears, 

For  seven  long  years ; 
Which  to  me  is  of  trifling  duration. 

With  prudence  I  serve, 

And  strain  every  nerve 
To  acquit  myself  like  a  good  Mason." 

These  latter,  having  complied  with  the  terms  and 
served  the  time  required,  their  indentures  were  sur- 
rendered, and  they  then  had  the  right  to  demand  to  be 
admitted  as  Fellow  Crafts,  and,  when  employed,  to  receive 
wages  as  such. 


COINCIDENCES  WITH   THE   MYSTERIES.  283 

But  it  was  only  at  the  Annual  Assembly  that  they  could 
be  initiated  as  Fellow  Crafts  and  admitted  to  the  degree. 
After  having  served  as  a  foreman  or  Warden,  and  pro- 
ducing proper  vouchers  of  their  skill  and  character,  they 
were  eligible  to  be  accepted  as  Masters,  and  empowered 
thereafter  to  contract  for  work  on  their  own  account, 
and  to  take  apprentices,  but  this  acceptance  could  only 
be  done  as  in  the  former  case  at  the  General  Assembly. 

The  term  Master  Mason  indicated  one  who  was  a 
master  workman,  equivalent  to  Worshipful  Master  of 
the  present  day.  To  designate  one  who  had  taken  work 
on  his  own  account,  the  term  Former  Master  was  used. 
Indeed  the  Grand  Lodge  of  England  has  never  recognized 
a  degree  of  Past  Master  •  it  has  simply  an  official  cere- 
mony of  installation. 

At  the  General  Assembly  A.  D.  1717,  a  variety  of  new 
regulations  were  proposed,  and  from  that  time  dates  the 
revival  of  Masonry.  At  that  time  there  were  but  four 
lodges  in  the  south  of  England  that  had  regular  places 
of  meetings,  and  stated  convocations.  They  were  : 

No.  1.  The  Old  Lodge  of  St.  Paul,  afterward  named 
the  Lodge  of  Antiquity,  and  by  which  it  is  still  known. 
The  meetings  were  held  at  the  Goose  and  Gridiron. 

No.  2.  Held  at  the  Crown.  It  became  extinct  nearly 
a  century  ago. 

No.  3.  Held  at  the  Apple  Tree  Tavern,  came  under 
the  New  Constitution  in  1723,  and  is  now  No.  10  on  the 
list  of  lodges  ;  and 

No.  4.  Held  at  the  Rummer  and  Grapes  Tavern,  now 
known  as  the  Somerset  House  Lodge. 

At  the  General  Assembly,  to  increase  their  membership, 
the  proposition  was  agreed  to,  that  the  privileges  of  Ma- 
Bonry  should  no  longer  be  restricted  to  operative  Masons, 


284  TRADITIONS   OF   FREEMASONRY. 

but  extended  to  men  of  various  professions,  provided 
they  were  regularly  approved  and  initiated  into  the  or- 
der. In  consequence  of  this  resolution  many  new  regu- 
lations took  place,  and  the  society  once  more  rose  into 
notice  and  esteem. 

"  Among  a  variety  of  regulations  proposed  and  agreed 
to  at  the  Annual  Assembly  in  A.  D.  1718,  was  '  That  the 
privilege  of  assembling  as  Masons,  which  had  hitherto 
been  unlimited,  should  be  vested  in  certain  lodges  or 
assemblies  of  Masons  convened  in  certain  places ;  and 
that  every  lodge  to  be  hereafter  convened,  except  the 
four  old  lodges  at  this  time  existing,  should  be  legally 
authorized  to  act  by  a  warrant  from  the  Grand  Master 
for  the  time  being,  granted  to  certain  individuals  by  peti- 
tion, with  the  consent  and  approbation  of  the  Grand 
Lodge  in  communication  ;  and  that  without  such  warrant 
no  lodge  should  be  hereafter  deemed  regular  or  constitu- 
tional." 

In  compliment  to  the  brethren  of  the  four  old  lodges? 
by  whom  the  Grand  Lodge  was  first  formed,  it  was  re- 
solved, "  That  every  privilege  which  they  collectively  en- 
joyed by  virtue  of  their  immemorial  rights,  they  should 
still  continue  to  enjoy  ;  and  that  no  law,  rule,  or  regula- 
tion to  be  hereafter  made  or  passed  in  Grand  Lodge, 
should  ever  deprive  them  of  such  privilege,  or  encroach 
on  any  landmark  which  was  ai  that  time  established  as  the 
standard  of  masonic  government." 

By  these  changes,  or  rather  the  adoption  of  these  new 
regulations,  the  Annual  Assembly  became  a  representative 
body,  and  thereafter  is  styled  Grand  Lodge,  it  being 
composed  of  the  Grand  Officers  and  the  Master  and  War- 
dens only  of  particular  lodges,  the  position  of  Master 
received  a  new  importance,  and  that  officer  was  selected 


COINCIDENCES    WITH    THE    MYSTERIES.  285 

with  reference  to  his  ability  in  explaining  the  symbols 
and  allegories.  Up  to  this  period,  and  for  some  time 
after,  what  is  technically  known  as  Lectures  were  not  in 
use. 

Asa  result  of  these  new  regulations,  many  new  lodges 
were  organized,  the  society  soon  lost  its  operative  char- 
acter, and  the  initiates  all  aspired  to  the  degree  of  Master 
Mason,  and  it  became  necessary  to  have  a  term  to  dis- 
tinguish those  wrbo  were  or  had  been  Masters  of  a  lodge 
from  the  Master  Masons. 

The  four  old  lodges  claimed  and  exercised  the  right  to 
initiate, pass  and  raise  under  the  new  regulation  ;  but  this 
privilege  was  not  accorded  to  the  new  lodges  until  sev- 
eral years  after. 

Not  until  the  publication  of  Preston's  Illustrations  do 
we  find  any  allusion  to  a  secret  ceremony  connected  with 
the  installation  of  a  Master  of  a  lodge.  "The  new 
Master  is  then  conducted  to  an  adjacent  room,  where  lie 
is  regularly  installed,  and  bound  to  his  trust  in  ancient 
form  by  his  predecessor  in  office,  in  presence  of  three 
installed  Masters.'*7  This  ceremony  must  necessarily  have 
been  brief,  as  the  brethren  remained  in  the  lodge-room 
during  the  time.  On  the  return  of  the  Masters,  the  cere- 
monies, which  had  been  interrupted  by  their  retirement, 
were  resumed  and  completed  in  the  presence  of  all  as- 
sembled. 

That  which  was  considered  necessary  to  constitute  a 
Master  Mason  a  legal  Master  of  a  lodge  in  the  time  of 
Preston,  is  all  that  is  required  at  the  present.  He  has 
the  same  rights  and  privileges,  and  is  amenable  to  the 
same  authority  and  laws  now  as  then.  The  secret  cere- 
monies have  come  down  to  us  orally  ;  there  is  no  power 
any  where  to  change,  alter  or  expunge  them,  and  they 


286  TRADITIONS   OF   FREEMASONRY. 

belong  to  installed  Masters  alone.  The  Grand  Lodge 
has  no  control  over  them  ;  Masons  cannot  legislate  foi 
degrees;  or  ceremonies  of  which  they  have  no  official 
knowledge.  At  least  one  half  the  members  of  a  Grand 
Lodge  know  nothing  of  the  secret  ceremonies  in  the 
installation  of  a  Master  of  a  lodge,  because  the  Grand 
Lodge,  if  full,  is  composed  of  two  Wardens  to  one  Master ; 
nor  is  it  necessary  that  they  should  know  them.  Giblim- 
ites they  were,  Giblimites  they  are,  and  Giblimites  they 
will  continue  to  be. 

In  all  time  government  has  been  threefold.  Tradition 
says  that  "  at  the  Flood,  Noah,  Shem  and  Japheth  were  the 
presiding  officers  of  Masonry  ;"  the  same  disposition  has 
continued  unaltered  and  unimpaired  down  to  the  present 
day.  The  wisdom,  strength  and  beauty  of  this  arrange- 
ment may  be  estimated  by  considering  that  a  similar  form 
of  government  was  dictated  by  Divinity  for  the  observ- 
ance of  the  Jewish  Church,  it  being  governed  by  the 
High  Priest,  the  Priests  and  Levites. 

If  we  turn  to  the  mysteries  we  find  the  same  unvarying 
traces  of  government ;  the  coincidences  are  peculiar.  In 
the  mysteries  of  Greece,  the  principal  officers  were  three. 
The  chief  person  was  the  Hierophant,  or  revealer  of  holy 
things ;  the  next  in  rank  and  importance  was  the  Da- 
duchus,  or  torch-bearer,  so  named  from  the  custody  of  the 
Great  and  Sacred  lights,  which  were  placed  under  his 
superintending  care  ;  the  duty  of  the  third,  denominated 
Ceryx,  was  to  proclaim  in  a  public  manner  the  will  and 
pleasure  of  the  Hierophant.  These  officers  were  sup- 
posed to  represent  the  sun,  moon  and  Mercury. 

The  principal  officers  in  the  Persian  mysteries  were 
also  three  in  number  ;  the  Priest,  or  Archimagus,  the 
Archpresule,  and  the  Presule,  because  the  number  three 


COINCIDENCES  WITH   THE   MYSTERIES.  287 

was  esteemed  perfect,  and  included  many  extraordinary 
virtues  ;  and  it  is  said  in  the  Oracles  of  Zoroaster  :  "  The 
mind  of  the  Father  decreed  that  all  things  should  be 
divided  into  THREE."  ; 

It  has  been  narrated  in  a  preceding  chapter  that  the  ? 
same  arrangement  prevailed  in  India,  the  chief  officer 
being  placed  in  the   east  to  represent  Brahma,  or  the  , 
rising  sun ;   his  two  colleagues  in  the  west  and  south 
representing  Vishnu  and  Siva,  as  the  setting  and  meri- 
dian sun. 

The  three  superior  orders  of  men  under  whose  presi- 
dency the  Gothic  mysteries  were  placed,  called  the  Drotles, 
the  /Scalds,  and  the  Diviners,  were  believed  to  possess 
many  supernatural  endowments,  and  invested  the  myste- 
ries with  distinguished  celebrity. 

The  presiding  officers  in  the  Druidical  mysteries  were 
also  three,  and  named  Cadeiriaiih,  the  principal,  stationed 
in  the  east  •  Goronwy,  who  represented  the  moon,  occu- 
pied a  place  in  the  west ;  and  Fleidar  Flam,  the  meri- 
dian sun,  stationed  in  the  south.  It  is  unnecessary  to 
enumerate  any  other  instances  in  detail  ;  suffice  to  say, 
that  the  government  of  all  the  mysterious  institutions 
known  in  the  world  has  been  invariably  the  same. 

The  Worshipful  Master  in  the  east,  to  represent  the 
rising  sun,  as  the  sun  rules  the  day  with  undeviating 
regularity,  so  ought  the  Master  to  rule  with  equal  pre- 
cision, that  order  and  harmony  may  be  as  visibly  dis- 
played in  a  masonic  lodge  as  in  the  uniform  movements 
of  the  celestial  system.  Hence  we  find  that  the  Master's 
authority  in  the  lodge  is  despotic  as  the  sun  in  the 
firmament.  The  old  regulations  of  Masonry  provide 
that  "  the  Rulers  and  Governors,  supreme  and  subordi- 
nate, of  the  ancient  lodge  are  to  be  obeyed  in  their  respect- 


288  TRADITIONS  OF   FREEMASONRY. 

ive  stations  by  all  the  brethren,  according  to  the  old 
charges  and  regulations,  with  all  humility,  reverence,  love 
and  alacrity." 

The  rights,  duties,  privileges  and  responsibilities  of  a 
Master  of  a  lodge  belong  to  the  office,  and  not  to  the 
degree  or  ceremon}' ;  resulting  from  eligibility,  election, 
installation  and  service. 

The  office  of  Master  of  a  lodge  is  one  of  the  most 
important,  responsible  and  honorable  in  Masonry;  second 
only  to  that  of  Grand  Master.  The  greatest  discrimi- 
nation, therefore,  should  be  exercised  in  the  selection  of 
a  brother  for  that  exalted  position.  "  Therefore,  no  man 
ought  to  be  nominated  or  put  in  such  selection  but  such 
as  by  his  known  skill  and  merit  is  deemed  worthy  of 
preference  ;  viz.  he  must  be  well  acquainted  with  all  the 
private  and  public  rules  and  orders  of  the  craft ;  he  ought 
to  be  strictly  honest,  humane  of  nature,  patient  in  injuries, 
modest  in  conversation,  grave  in  counsel  and  advice,  and 
above  all,  constant  in  amity  and  faithful  in  secrecy. 

"  Such  candidates  will  deserve  to  be  chosen  the  rulers 
of  their  respective  lodges,  to  whom  the  members  are  to 
be  courteous  and  obedient,  and  by  their  wise  and  ancient 
dictates,  may  learn  to  despise  the  over  covetous,  impa- 
tient, contentions,  presumptuous,  arrogant,  and  conceited 
prattlers,  the  bane  of  human  society. 

"  Here  we  cannot  forbear  from  saying  that  some  men, 
whose  intentions  are  very  honest  and  without  any  evil 
design,  commit  great  errors,  and  sometimes  have  been  the 
destruction  of  good  lodges,  and  this  by  their  brethren  hur- 
rying them  indiscreetly  into  offices  wherein  their  slender 
knowledge  of  Masonry  rendered  them  incapable  of  exe- 
cuting the  business  committed  to  their  charge,  to  the 
great  detriment  of  the  craft  and  their  own  dishonor." 


COINCIDENCES   WITH   THE  MYSTERIES.  289 

Such  were  the  sentiments  approved  by  the  Grand 
Lodge  of  Ireland.  A.  D.  1804  ;  they  are  equally  applicable 
to  this  country  and  at  this  date. 

A  position  of  such  power,  influence  and  responsibility 
should  be  accepted  by  none  but  those  who  are  intimately 
acquainted  with  the  history,  laws,  regulations,  symbolisms 
and  rituals  of  the  fraternity.  The  position  should  never 
be  sought  after,  much  less  intrigued  for,  and  whenever 
such  disposition  is  shown,  the  party  should  be  promptly 
rejected  as  unworthy  to  be  the  repository  of  such  high 
trusts.  No  man  can  govern  others  until  he  has  learned 
to  govern  himself,  and  to  such  only  should  the  emblems 
of  authority  be  intrusted.  "  None  but  the  assiduous,  the 
circumspect,  the  charitable,  the  mild,  the  firm,  the  learned, 
the  discreet,  the  punctual,  the  faithful,  the  impartial,  the 
persevering  and  the  just  should  ever  be  elevated  to  the 
office  of  Master  of  a  lodge."  The  possession  of  these 
qualifications,  together  with  sound  judgment  in  the  Mas- 
ter, will  render  the  lodge  prosperous,  the  brethren  happy 
and  harmonious,  and  himself  a  fitting  representative  of 
the  pillar  of  wisdom  ;  and  as  Solomon  wore  a  crown  as 
an  ensign  of  royal  dignity,  so  may  such  a  brother  be  per- 
mitted to  wear as  an  evidence  of  his  official 

superiority  over  his  brethren. 

In  the  ancient  ceremonies  of  installation,  the  Master 
was  presented  with  a — 

Rule,  as  symbolic  of  Punctuality  and  Straightness. 

Line,  "  "  Sincerity  and  Moral  Rectitude. 

Trowel,  "  Union  and  Benevolence. 

Chisel,  "  "  Education. 

Plumb-line,  "  "  Uprightness  and  Justice. 

Level,  "  "  Equality. 

Square,  "  *;  Morality  and  Virtue. 

13 


290  TRADITIONS    OF    FREEMASONRY." 

Compasses,    as  symbolic  of  Limitation  of  Desire. 
Mallet,  "  "        Correction  of  Irregularities. 

Hammer,  "  "        Discipline. 

II.  OF  VIRTUAL  PAST  MASTERS. — The  term  "  revival" 
is  appropriately  applied  to  the  impetus  Masonry  received 
from  the  new  regulations  adopted  A.  D.  1717.  Men  of 
the  highest  literary  and  scientific  attainments  began  to 
cultivate  the  science.  The  rubbish — accumulation  of 
ignorant  ages — began  to  be  cleared  away,  and  the  truths 
lying  hidden  below  were  brought  to  light.  Of  course, 
the  indolent,  ignorant  time-servers  were  displeased,  and 
murmurings  both  loud  and  deep  were  heard.  Innovation 
was  then,  as  it  has  been  often  since,  the  cry  used  by  men 
who  knew  not  what  they  meant  by  the  term. 

Undeterred  by  senseless  cries  or  opposition,  such  bright 
and  shining  masonic  lights  as  Anderson,  Desaguliers, 
Clare,  Calcott,  Dunkerly,  Hutchinson,  Preston,  etc.,  pur- 
sued the  even  tenor  of  their  ways.  The  luminous  minds 
and  indefatigable  researches  of  such  learned  brethren 
brought  to  light  old  truths,  and  discovered  new  beauties 
in  the  symbolisms  of  Masonry  that  demanded  expansion  ; 
for,  with  all  their  powers  of  condensation,  not  even  a  tithe 
could  be  compressed  within  the  three  degrees. 

These  developments  gradually  assumed  the  shape  of 
new  and  higher  degrees,  leaving  the  landmarks  of  the 
original  ones  untouched.  To  be  a  high  Mason  is  no 
honor,  unaccompanied  with  a  knowledge  of  the  truths 
and  a  practice  of  the  great  moral  lessons  taught. 

The  knowledge  of  the  new  developments,  or  higher 
degrees,  was  restricted  to  those  only  who  it  was  supposed 
would  honor  them — such  as  were  well  acquainted  with 
the  first  three  degrees  ;  consequently  the  provision,  "  and 
a  brother  being  well  versed  in  these  degrees,  and  having 


COINCIDENCES  WITH  THE  MYSTERIES.  291 

discharged  the  offices  of  his  lodge,  particularly  that  of 
Master,  and  fulfilled  the  duties  thereof  with  the  appro- 
bation of  the  brethren  of  his  lodge,  is  eligible,  if  found 
worthy,  to  be  admitted  to  the  fourth  degree,  the  Holy 
Royal  Arch.77 

As  the  interest  in  the  science  of  Masonry  increased, 
so  did  the  desire  for  the  advanced  degrees.  It  was  found 
that  in  confining  the  degree  of  Holy  Royal  Arch  to 
Masters  of  lodges  a  mistake  had  been  made,  and  of 
necessity  some  remedy  had  to  be  provided.  There  were 
but  two  methods  open :  either  to  expunge  the  original 
provision,  and  open  the  degree  to  all,  or  to  contrive 
some  plan  to  get  around  the  provision.  The  latter 
course  was  adopted,  and  such  brethren  as  presented  a 
certificate  of  recommendation  from  their  lodge  were 
privately  passed  the  chair,  as  it  was  termed,  and  thus 
became  eligible  to  receive  the  degree  of  Holy  Royal 
Arch.  Another  plan  was  to  petition  the  Grand  Master 
to  grant  his  dispensation,  permitting  certain  brethren  to 
pass  the  chair.  This  latter  plan  is  still  practiced  in  one 
jurisdiction  in  our  country.  Where  a  Grand  Master 
derives  his  authority  to  grant  such  dispensations,  or  how 
he  became  possessed  of  jurisdiction  over  "  passing  the 
chair"  is  a  problem  worth  solving. 

The  first  use  of  the  term  Present  or  Past  Master's 
Degree  that  we  can  find  is  in  Webb's  Freemason's  Monitor, 
A.  D.  1797 ;  it  is  there  ranked  as  the  fifth  degree,  the 
Mark  being  the  fourth,  the  qualifications  for  the  degree 
being  an  election  in  a  chapter  of  Royal  Arch  Masons, 
and  the  possession  of  the  Mark  degree,  reversing  the 
order  as  previously  in  practice,  which  was  to  confer  the 
Mark  degree  only  upon  Masters  of  lodges. 

The  old  secret  "ceremonies  of  installation  were  some- 


292  TRADITIONS   OF  FREEMASONRY. 

4 

what  changed  and  amplified  to  conform  to  the  character 
of  a  degree,  some  new  matter  added,  and  the  whole  called 
the  degree  of  Past  Master. 

No  feeling  need  ever  to  have  been  exhibited,  or  arisen 
as  the  result  of  the  formation  or  arrangement  of  a  new 
degree,  had  the  actual  and  virtual  Past  Masters  under- 
stood their  relative  positions.  The  dissatisfaction  has 
been  caused  by  a  mutual  misunderstanding  of  the  rights, 
privileges  and  prerogatives  of  the  two  ceremonies. 

As  late  as  A.  D.  1851,  a  Grand  High  Priest  gravely 
complained  to  his  Grand  Chapter  that  it  had  been  the 
practice  in  that  State  "  for  three  or  more  Past  Masters  to 
confer  the  degree  of  Past  Master  upon  the  Master  elect 
of  a  Blue  Lodge,  without  the  sanction  of  any  Royal  Arch 
Chapter."  And  in  another  jurisdiction,  a  Royal  Arch 
Mason,  a  visitor  in  a  Blue  Lodge,  claimed  the  chair  in  the 
absence  of  the  Worshipful  Master  by  virtue  of  his  Past 
Master's  degree ! 

Suppose,  for  instance,  that  in  arranging  the  system  of 
Odd  Fellows,  or  Sons  of  Temperance,  a  Mason  had  in- 
corporated a  degree  analogous  to  that  of  Master  Mason, 
or  even  the  degree  itself,  does  it  follow  that  Masons 
would  have  been  bound  to  recognize  the  degree  ?  As- 
suredly not ;  a  recognition  either  way,  by  visiting  or 
receiving  visits,  would  have  subjected  the  parties  to  ma- 
sonic discipline. 

The  capitular  degrees  are  as  independent  of  craft 
Masonry  as  are  those  of  the  Ancient  and  Accepted  or  any 
other  rite.  Each  are  based  on  the  symbolic  degrees,  and 
there  never  has  been  any  more  reason  for- clashing  with 
the  former  than  with  the  latter.  Giving  two  degrees 
the  same  name  does  not  identify  them,  or  place  them 
under  the  same  government.  Those  parties  who  arranged 


COINCIDENCES  WITH  THE  MYSTERIES.  293 

the  American  system,  whoever  they  were,  had  a  perfect 
right  to  arrange  or  make  as  many  new  degrees  as  they 
pleased,  and  call  them  by  such  names  as  suited  them  ; 
but  they  had  no  right  to  claim  or  exercise  jurisdiction 
over  any  existing  degree.  No  man  can  deprive  another 
of  his  inherent  rights. 

Three  or  more  Actual  Past  Masters  have  the  inherent 
right  to  communicate  to  the  Master  elect  of  a  chartered 
lodge  such  matters  as  it  is  absolutely  necessary  that  he 
should  know  before  he  can  legally  act ;  and  no  power  on 
earth  can  take  that  authority  from  them,  or  circumscribe 
it.  This  knowledge  they  communicate  as  it  has  come 
down  to  them,  and  none  others  than  actual  Past  Masters 
have  a  right  or  should  be  permitted  to  be  present :  nor 
yet  have  actual  Past  Masters  any  right  to  be  present 
when  the  degree  of  Past  Master  is  conferred  in  a  chap- 
ter. The  one  is  a  ceremony  of  installation,  the  other  is 
a  degree.  The  one  prepares  the  party  to  preside  over  a 
lodge  of  Master  Masons  ;  the  other  is  a  pre-reqnisite  to 
the  Royal  Arch  degree,  just  as  the  Entered  Apprentice 
degree  is  a  pre-requisite  to  that  of  Fellow  Craft. 

An  avowed  opponent  of  Masonry,  writing  of  this  de- 
gree, says  :  "  The  chief  object  of  this  degree,  in  the  United 
States,  is  to  exemplify  the  necessity  of  government,  and 
to  enforce  upon  the  minds  of  those  who  are  called  to 
govern,  the  importance  of  qualifying  themselves  for  the 
skillful  and  efficient  discharge  of  their  duties.  The  cere- 
monies of  the  degree  extend  to  no  great  length  ;  but 
they  are  such  as  strongly  to  impress  upon  the  newly- 
elected  Master  a  sense  of  his  own  deficiences  in  the  mat- 
ter of  government,  and  the  need  he  has  of  promptness 
and  energy  in  preserving  the  discipline  of  the  society 
over  which  he  is  to  prt  side." 


294  TRADITIONS   OF  FREEMASONRY. 

The  esoteric  ceremonies  of  the  degree  are  eminently 
calculated,  when  properly  conferred,  to  make  a  lasting 
impression  on  the  mind  of  the  candidate  ;  to  inculcate 
important  truths  useful  to  him  in  society,  but  absolutely 
necessary  that  he  should  understand  and  be  governed  by, 
if  he  would  make  a  good  Mason.  They  show  the  neces- 
sity of  first  learning  to  govern  ourselves  before  we  un- 
dertake to  govern  others ;  that  ambition  without  ability 
is  dishonorable  in  itself,  and  fraught  with  danger  to  soci- 
ety ;  that  none  should  accept,  much  less  aspire  to,  any 
office  or  position  unless  perfectly  familiar  with  all  the 
duties  thereof ;  that  mildness  and  indulgence,  yet  firm- 
ness and  determination,  are  necessary  to  secure  harmony 
and  obedience,  and  that  without  discipline,  no  institu- 
tion can  flourish. 

Among  the  various  traditions  of  circumstances  that 
occurred  at  the  building  of  Solomon's  Temple  is  the  fol- 
lowing :  During  the  process  of  the  erection  of  the  temple, 
Solomon  was  in  the  habit  of  visiting  every  part  of  the 
building,  to  inspect  the  work  and  examine  the  progress 
being  made.  Upon  one  occasion,  as  he  was  ascending  a 
ladder  of  rope,  one  side  gave  way,  but  just  as  he  was 
falling,  he  was  caught  by  two  of  the  workmen  who  hap- 
pened to  be  passing,  and  he  was  thus  saved  from  great 
injury  if  not  from  death.  These  workmen  were  Giblim- 
ites,  and  in  gratitude  to  them  for  the  service  rendered 
him,  and  to  perpetuate  its  remembrance,  Solomon  took 
this  class  under  his  especial  protection,  and  ordered  that 
in  the  future  he  should  be  constantly  attended  by  two  of 
the  Giblimites.  When  age,  infirmity  and  disease  had 
rendered  Solomon  unable  to  walk  alone,  two  of  this 
favored  class  constantly  attended  and  assisted  him,  even 
to  seating  him  upon  his  throne.  From  these  circumstances, 


COINCIDENCES  WITH  THE   MYSTERIES.  295 

the and  the are  said  to  have  origi- 
nated. 

The  Giblimites  were  expert  operative  Masons,  who 
understood  the  science  of  geometrical  proportion  in  its 
practical  references,  and  were  cemented  in  their  lodges 
by  the  morality  of  its  detached  and  component  parts,  and 
were  probably  a  part  of  the  Dyonisian  artificers  hereto- 
fore spoken  of.  They  were  from  the  city  Giblii,  Gebal, 
or  Byblos,  as  it  was  variously  termed,  a  city  on  the  Phoe- 
nician coast  between  Tripoli  and  Berytus.  The  inhabit- 
ants were  celebrated  for  their  dexterity  in  cutting  stone 
or  wood,  and  for  their  skill  in  shipbuilding. 

King  Hiram  employed  the  people  of  this  place  in 
preparing  materials  for  Solomon's  Temple,  as  may  be 
collected  from  1  Kings  v.  18  :  "And  Solomon's  builders, 
and  Hiram's  builders  did  hew  tJiem,  and  the  stone- 
squarers :  so  they  prepared  timber  and  stones  to  build 
the  house."  The  word  which  our  translators  have  ren- 
dered stone-squarers  is  in  the  Hebrew  t]"ii  j}  Giblim  or 
Gibliies  j  in  the  Septuagint  version  it  is  (3v(3hioi,  or  men 
of  Byblos,  the  former  using  the  Hebrew  and  the  latter 
the  Greek  name  of  the  place. 

Those  who  arranged  the  American  system  of  Masonry 
transferred  the  chisel  and  mallet  to  the  Mark  degree, 
and  omitted  the  hammer  from  all  the  degrees,  each  of 
which  was  formerly  used  in  the  ceremonies  of  installa- 
tion. 

In  conclusion,  the  degree  of  Past  Master  is  symbolic  of 
the  good,  the  wise,  and  the  just  ruler  ;  it  inculcates  those 
qualifications  which  are  necessary  in  those  who  under- 
take to  govern  their  fellow-men ;  and  of  the  duties  of 
those  who  would  live  happily  and  quietly  under  consti- 
tuted authority. 


fedlnrf  Master* 


CHAPTER 


MOST    EXCELLENT    MASTER. 

INTRODUCTION  —  Allegory  of  Masonry  —  Not  Complete  with  the  Third  De- 
gree—  New  Degree  Necessary  —  An  American  Invention  —  Specula- 
tions as  to  its  Origin  —  First  Promulgated  i.  D.  1797  —  Foundation  of 
the  Degree  —  High  Hills  subjects  of  Tradition  —  Mount  Moriah  —  Ex- 
plication of  the  word  Moriah — God  chooses  it  for  the  Erection  of  an 
Altar  —  Hebrew  National  Altar  at  Gibeon  —  Mount  Moriah  a  Conse- 
crated Spot  in  Early  Times  —  Thrashing-floor  of  Oman  —  Price  paid  for 
it — Manner  of  Separating  Grain  in  Oriental  Countries  —  Ornan  and 
Araunah  the  same  Person — Mount  Moriah  Remarkable  for  Three 
Great  Events  —  Solomon's  Temple  —  Dimensions  —  Difficulty  in  Draw- 
ing a  Plan  of  it  —  Its  Magnificence  consisted  in  its  Ornament  —  David 
made  Preparations  for  Building  —  Foundation  Laid  —  Date  of  Comple- 
tion —  Most  Excellent  Degree  Necessary  for  a  Comprehension  of  the 
American  System  —  Completion  of  Public  Edifices  attended  with  Cere- 
monies of  Rejoicing  —  Tradition  of  such  at  the  Completion  of  Solo- 
mon's Temple  —  Errors  in  the  Construction  of  the  Degree  —  Feast  of 
Rejoicing  for  the  Law  —  Dedicatory  Ceremonies  ancient  —  Dedication 
of  the  Temple  —  Ark  built  by  Bezaleel  —  Remarkable  Incidents  Con- 
nected with  it  —  Final  Disposition  Unknown  —  Queen  of  Sheba  —  Scrip- 
tural Account  —  Masonic  Tradition  —  Abyssinian  Tradition  —  Tradition 
of  Solomon  and  Adoniram  —  Conclusion. 

THE  ever-memorable  occasion  of  the  dedication  of  the 
temple  is  celebrated  in  our  lodges.  It  is  the  ground- 
work of  one  of  its  most  beautiful  degrees.  "  None  but 
the  meritorious  and  praiseworthy  ;  none  but  those  who 
have  been  seated  in  the  Oriental  Chair  by  the  unanimous 
suffrages  of  their  brethren  can  be  admitted  to  this  degree 
of  Masonry." 

The  allegory  of  Masonry  is  the  building  of  the  Temple 
of  Solomon  ;  the  different  degrees  refer  to  the  grades  of 
the  workmen  employed  and  the  progress  of  the  work. 

(2991 


300  TRADITIONS    OP    FREEMASONRY. 

The  allegory  was  not  complete  with  the  third  degree, 
and  a  fourth  (Holy  Royal  Arch)  was  arranged,  culminat- 
ing in  a  discovery  based  upon  the  preparations  for  the  re- 
building of  the  temple  after  its  destruction  by  Nebuchad- 
nezzar's army  ;  all  of  which  formed  a  part  of  the  fourth 
degree.  Yet  the  system  was  incomplete  ;  the  third  de- 
gree left  the  temple  unfinished,  and  the  fourth  noted  its 
destruction  and  the  preparations  made  for  its  rebuilding. 
Its  completion,  dedication  and  use  for  more  than  four 
hundred  years  was  not  even  alluded  to  in  any  degree.  To 
supply  this  hiatus  the  degree  of  Most  Excellent  Master  was 
arranged,  and  placed  sixth  in  the  American  or  Webb  Rite. 

The  degree  is  purely  an  American  invention.  In  none 
of  the  European  systems  or  rites  is  there  a  degree  to 
which  it  assimilates.  The  other  degrees  of  the  American 
Rite  are  traceable  to  degrees  previously  in  use  j  but  this 
is  original.  It  is  true  that  there  were  degrees  worked 
before  this  one,  under  the  names  respectively  of  "  Excel- 
lent "  and  "  Most  Excellent.77  The  first  was  the  ceremony 
of  passing  the  veils,  which  is  now  included  in  the  Royal 
Arch  degree  ;  the  other  related  to  matters  not  included 
in  our  system.  There  was,  or  is,  a  third — the  degree  of 
"  Super  Excellent  Master/7  which,  in  this  country,  is 
ranked  as  a  "  side  degree,"  although  sometimes  given  in 
a  Council  of  Royal  and  Select  Masters. 

At  what  precise  time,  or  by  whom,  the  traditions  upon 
which  the  degree  of  Most  Excellent  Master  were  com- 
piled and  woven  into  a  beautiful,  impressive  and  instruct- 
ive ceremony,  cannot  now  be  determined.  Among  the 
suppositions,  and  each  have  considerable  evidence  to  sus- 
tain the  claim,  are  : 

First.  That  it  was  manufactured  at  Providence,  Rhode 
Island,  at  the  close  of  the  last  century. 


COINCIDENCES   WITH  THE  MYSTERIES.  301 

Second.  That  it  was  the  result  of  the  joint  labors  of 
the  Rev.  Jonathan  Nye  and  the  Rev.  George  Richards, 
both  of  whom  were  distinguished  Masons  ;  and 

Third.  That  it  was  arranged  by  Thomas  Smith  Webb. 

The  first  notice  of  the  degree  in  question  in  any  publi- 
cation is  found  in  the  first  edition  of  the  Freemason's 
Monitor,  published  by  Webb  and  printed  in  Albany, 
New  York,  A.  D.  1797,  where  Webb  then  resided,  and 
previous  to  his  removal  to  Providence  ;  consequently,  if 
Webb  was  the  author  of  the  degree,  it  could  not  have 
been  arranged  in  Providence.  But  while  we  are  un- 
able to  fix  as  to  where  or  by  whom  the  degree  was  first 
arranged,  we  do  know  that  it  was  first  presented 
to  the  masonic  public  in  A.  D.  1796-7,  in  the  American 
Rite. 

The  Most  Excellent  Master's  degree  is  founded  upon 
the  tradition  of  circumstances  that  occurred  at  the  com- 
pletion and  dedication  of  King  Solomon's  Temple.  This 
wonderful  and  magnificent  structure,  the  erection  of  which 
has  surrounded  the  reign  of  Solomon  with  a  halo  of  glory, 
was  built  on  Mount  Moriah,  one  of  the  five  hills  inclosed 
in  the  walls  of  Jerusalem. 

It  has  been  already  shown  that  all  nations,  and  in  all 
ages  of  the  world,  lofty  hills  and  mountains  were  consid- 
ered holy.  Tradition  says  that  Paradise  was  on  a  hill ; 
that  Adam  was  born  and  Abel  slain  on  the  same  hill  ; 
that  Enoch  was  on  a  lofty  mountain  when  he  had  his 
vision  ;  that  it  was  on  a  hill  where  Abraham  made  his 
preparation  to  offer  up  his  son  Isaac  as  a  sacrifice.  It  is 
singular  that  the  Jews,  the  Samaritans  and  the  Mahomme- 
dans  should  all  wish  to  fix  the  above  events  on  the  site 
of  their  respective  temples,  each  of  which  were  built  on  a 
hill. 


302  TRADITIONS   OF  FREEMASONRY. 

Mount  Moriah  appears  to  have  been  regarded  by  the 
people  as  a  place  of  peculiar  sanctity  long  before  the  He- 
brews had  a  name.  The  city  of  Salem  was  situated  on 
the  sides  of  this  mountain  ;  it  was  the  residence  of  Mel- 
chizedek,  "  the  priest  of  the  most  high  God,"  who  blessed 
Abraham  after  his  victory  over  the  five  kings,  as  is  re- 
lated in  Genesis  xiv. 

Calmet  gives  the  derivation  and  definition  of  the  word 
Moriah,  f-pllto  bitterness  of  the  Lord  ;  from  "nfa  marar, 
otherwise  myrrh  of  the  Lord;  from  *n)a  mor,  otherwise 
doctrine  or  fear  of  the  Lord  ;  from  tif^jara,  to  fear,  or 
Jrj-p  jarah,  to  teach,  and  fp  jah,  the  Lord,  according  to 
the  Syriac  and  Hebrew,  dominion  of  the  Lord. 

We  find  in  1  Chronicles  xxi.  18,  that  God  himself  made 
the  selection  of  the  place  where  David  erected  an  altar  : 
"  Then  the  angel  of  the  Lord  commanded  Gad  to  say  to 
David,  that  David  should  go  up,  and  set  up  an  altar 
unto  the  Lord  in  the  thrashing-floor  of  Oman  the  Jebu- 
site  ;"  but  we  are  not  given  any  reason  for  the  selection 
of  this  particular  place,  any  further  than  that  the  angel, 
who  was  carrying  out  the  will  of  God,  "  stood  by  the 
thrashing-floor  of  Oman  "  when  the  pestilence  was  stayed. 

The  Jewish  national  altar,  whereon  David  certainly 
ought  to  have  sacrificed,  was  at  that  time  stationed  at 
Gibeon,  as  we  find  in  verse  29  of  the  same  chapter  :  "  For 
the  tabernacle  of  the  Lord,  which  Moses  made  in  the  wil- 
derness, and  the  altar  of  the  burnt-offering,  were  at  that 
season  in  the  high  place  at  Gibeon."  What  could  have 
been  the  reason  for  the  command  to  go  to  this  particular 
spot,  unless  it  had  been  a  consecrated  spot  in  former 
times  ?  Why  was  David  obliged  to  go  out  from  his  royal 
palace,  Mount  Zion,  and  pass  through  the  interjacent  city  ? 
Was  there  not  ample  space  on  Zion,  with  plenty  of  con- 


COINCIDENCES  WITH  THE  MYSTERIES.  303 

veniences — the  king's  own  property — but  he  must,  under 
peremptory  directions,  go  down  Mount  Zion,  cross  the 
valley  and  up  Mount  Moriah,  to  raise  an  altar  on  premises 
not  his  own  ?  Why  but  for  the  many  sacred  associations 
connected  with  this  spot,  even  in  the  antediluvian  world  ? 

This  may  account  for  the  extraordinary  price  paid  for 
the  land.  2  Samuel  xxiv.  24,  says  :  "  And  the  king  said 
unto  Araunah,  Nay  ;  but  I  will  surely  buy  it  of  thee  at  a 
price  :  neither  will  I  offer  burnt-offerings  unto  the  Lord 
my  God  of  that  which  doth  cost  me  nothing.  So  David 
bought  the  thrashing-floor  and  the  oxen  for  fifty  shekels 
of  silver."  But  afterward,  explaining  to  the  Jebusites 
his  intention  of  building  a  magnificent  temple  on  Mount 
Moriah,  he  obtains,  in  addition  for  that  purpose,  the  whole 
summit  of  the  mountain  (1  Chron.  xxi.  25),  "  So  David 
gave  to  Oman  for  the  place  six  hundred  shekels  of  gold 
by  weight." 

It  appears  that  David  paid  for  the  oxen  and  privilege 
of  erecting  an  altar  about  twenty-seven  dollars  ;  but  for 
the  fee-simple  of  the  mountain,  about  fifty- three  thousand 
dollars. 

In  the  holy  writings  we  find  may  allusions  to  the  sep- 
aration of  the  grain  from  the  straw  ;  most  of  such  allu- 
sions are  used  by  way  of  parables  or  symbolisms.  The 
observations  of  modern  travelers  prove  that  the  same 
means  are  now  used,  that  the  hieroglyphics  still  visible 
certify  was  the  custom  more  than  four  thousand  years 
ago.  "  This  machine,"  says  Niebuhr's  Travels.  "  is  called 
nauridsj.  It  has  three  rollers  which  turn  on  their  axles, 
and  each  of  them  is  furnished  with  some  irons,  round  and 
flat.  Every  peasant  chose  for  himself  in  the  open  field 
a  smooth  plot  of  ground,  from  eighty  to  one  hundred  paces 
in  circumference.  Hither  was  brought,  on  camels  or 


304  TRADITIONS    OF    FREEMASONRY. 

asses,  the  corn  in  sheaves,  of  which  was  formed  a  rir.g  of 
six  or  eight  feet  wide  and  two  high.  Two  oxen  were 
made  to  draw  over  it  again  and  again  the  sledge  (trai- 
neau)  above  mentioned."  The  grain  and  straw  are  the  , 
separated  by  tossing  against  the  wind. 

It  is  supposed  that  the  word  n^ll^  used  in  2  Samuel 
xxiv.  18,  was  the  Canaanite  or  Jebusite  name  (Araunah) 
of  the  owner  of  the  field  from  whom  David  made  the 
purchase ;  and  that  the  word  p1"^  Oman,  used  in  1 
Chronicles  xxi.  18,  was  his  Hebrew  name.  Josephus 
styles  him  Orphona,  and  says  that  David  saved  his  life 
when  he  took  Jerusalem. 

Mount  Moriah  was  on  the  northeast  side  of  Jerusalem, 
and  was  remarkable  for  three  great  events  occurring  on 
it,  as  recorded  in  the  Scriptures  : 

First.  It  was  on  this  mount  that  Abraham  made  the 
preparations  to  offer  up  his  beloved  son  Isaac. 

Second.  It  was  on  this  mount  that  David  built  an  altar 
and  offered  peace-offerings  and  burnt-offerings  to  appease 
the  wrath  of  God  when  his  people  were  afflicted  with  a 
pestilence  ;  and 

Third.  It  was  on  this  mount  that  Solomon  erected  the 
temple.  These  three  events  are  termed  "  the  three  grand 
offerings  of  Masonry." 

The  Jews  claim  that  the  Temple  of  Solomon  was  the 
most  magnificent  structure  that  the  world  ever  saw. 
Holy  Writ  and  tradition  concur  that  it  was  exceedingly 
rich  and  magnificent  in  its  ornaments  and  appointments  ; 
but  in  size  many  buildings  of  this  country  exceed  it. 
In  2  Chronicles  iii.  3,  we  find,  "  The  length  by  cubits  after 
the  first  measure  was  three-score  cubits,  and  the  breadth 
twenty  cubits."  According  to  this  measure,  the  temple  was 
but  one  hundred  and  five  feet  in  length  and  thirty-five  in 


COINCIDENCES  WITH  THE  MYSTERIES.  305 

breadth.  We  have  no  other  description  of  the  original 
building,  written  by  those  who  saw  it,  than  that  recorded 
in  the  Bible.  The  descriptions  given  by  Josephus  and 
others  are  mixed  up  with  the  dimensions  of  the  second 
and  third  temples.  The  architectural  terms  of  the  He- 
brew language  are  so  difficult  to  be  understood,  that  no 
one  yet  has  been  enabled  to  draw  a  plan  of  the  temple 
that  has  received  the  indorsement  of  Hebrew  scholars. 

The  temple  itself  formed  but  a  part  of  the  structure 
that  was  called  Solomon's  Temple  ;  it  was  surrounded  by 
various  courts,  chambers  and  habitations  of  the  officers 
connected  with  the  worship  and  for  the  guarding  of  the 
building.  The  outer  wall  was  ten  and  a  half  feet  high 
and  of  the  same  thickness,  and  inclosed  an  area  of  about 
twenty-five  thousand  square  feet. 

The  magnificence  of  the  temple  consisted  in  its  archi- 
tectural symmetry  and  harmony,  and  in  the  immense 
amount  of  treasure  expended  in  its  ornamentation. 
Built  of  enormous  blocks  of  white  stone,  boards  where- 
ever  exposed,  pillars,  beams,  gates  and  doors  overlaid 
with  gold,  its  effulgence  startled  and  dazzled  all  who 
first  beheld  it. 

David  had  gathered  together  a  vast  amount  of  material 
for  the  erection  of  the  temple,  and  about  two  years  be- 
fore his  death  he  "commanded  to  gather  together  the 
strangers  that  were  in  the  land  of  Israel,  and  he  set  Ma- 
sons to  hew  wrought  stones  to  build  the  house  of  God." 
The  foundation  was  laid  in  the  fourth  year  of  the  reign 
of  Solomon,  on  Monday,  the  second  day  of  the  second 
month  of  the  sacred  year  ;  it  was  completed  on  the 
eighth  day  of  the  eighth  month  of  the  sacred  year,  seven 
years  five  months  and  twenty-three  days  from  the  time 
the  foundation-stone  was  laid,  and  was  dedicated  on  the 


306  TRADITIONS    OF    FREEMASONRY. 

twenty-third  day  of  the  seventh  month,  ten  months  and 
fifteen  days  after  its  completion. 

The  traditions  relative  to  the  division  of  the  workmen 
employed  at  the  temple  into  classes  ;  the  assignment  of 
different  parts  of  the  work  to  each  class  ;  the  regulations 
made  for  their  government ;  the  rewards  for  faithful 
service,  and  the  punishments  for  negligence,  have  been 
made  the  foundation  for  numerous  degrees  in  the  various 
masonic  rites,  but  most  of  them  had  only  an  ephemeral 
existence.  The  degree  of  Most  Excellent  Master,  how- 
ever, will  continue  to  be  cultivated  so  long  as  the  system 
of  which  it  is  a  part  is  worked.  The  degrees  of  Mark 
and  Past  Master,  although  beautiful,  useful  and  instruct- 
ive, might  be  omitted  without  detriment  to  the  system ; 
but  this  degree,  forming  so  important  a  link  between  the 
degrees  of  Master  Mason  and  Royal  Arch,  could  not  be 
excluded  without  destroying  the  harmony  of  the  rite. 

The  completion  of  public  edifices  is  now,  and  ever  has 
been,  attended  with  some  kind  of  ceremony  deemed  appro- 
priate to  the  occasion,  as  evidences  of  the  rejoicings  of  the 
workmen ;  and  at  the  same  time  rewards  were  distributed 
to  the  meritorious  and  skillful  among  those  employed. 

Although  there  is  no  record  in  the  holy  writings  of 
any  such  ceremonies  at  the  completion  of  Solomon's  Tem- 
ple, yet  we  cannot  suppose  that  so  important  an  era,  or  so 
joyful  an  occasion  as  the  completion  of  so  magnificent  a 
structure,  and  one  on  which  so  large  a  number  of  persons 
had  been  employed  for  upward  of  twelve  years  (dating 
from  their  employment  by  David),  would  be  passed  over 
without  the  customary  rejoicings.  We  may  readily  be- 
lieve, then,  that  the  masonic  traditions  relative  to  this 
event  are  true,  and  are  therefore  worthy  of  commemo- 
ration in  a  masonic  degree. 


COINCIDENCES  WITH  THE  MYSTERIES.  307 

The  tradition  is,  that  when  the  temple  was  about  com- 
pleted, a  day  was  set  apart  for  the  placing  of  the  cope- 
stone,  at  which  time  the  whole  craft  were  assembled  and 
the  stone  carried  in  procession  and  deposited  in  its 
proper  place,  amidst  the  plaudits  and  rejoicings  of  the 
vast  assemblage ;  that  King  Solomon  availed  himself 
of  this  occasion  to  reward  the  skillful  and  meritorious 
craftsmen,  with  such  marks'  of  his  favor  and  esteem  as 
seemed  best  calculated  to  promote  their  interest  for  the 
future.  New  grades  were  established  ;  among  others 
that  of  Most  Excellent  Master,  to  which  none  but  those 
who  were  distinguished  for  their  superior  merit  and  as- 
siduity were  promoted  ;  and  these  were  especially  author- 
ized and  commanded  to  instruct  others  in  whatever  part 
of  the  world  they  might  travel  in  search  of  employment. 
Among  this  class  were  the  Giblimites,  and  as  a  further 
proof  of  the  estimation  in  which  he  held  them,  Solomon 
offered  all  of  those  who  wished  to  remain  within  his  juris- 
diction ample  employment. 

It  is  proper  here  to  remark,  that  each  of  the  superior 
degrees  in  the  American  system  show  evidences  of  hur- 
ried construction  •  sufficient  attention  was  not  given  to 
make  them  conform  to  the  history  and  traditions  upon 
which  it  is  claimed  they  were  founded  ;  indeed,  the  neo- 
phyte is  occasionally  led  astray.  It  is  pertinent  to  notice 
errors,  but  not  to  make  corrections. 

One  of  the  errors  in  this  degree  is  the  combining  of 
the  two  celebrations,  the  celebration  of  the  placing  of 
the  cope-stone  and  the  dedication  of  the  temple,  in  one 
and  the  same  ceremony,  without  explanation  or  inter- 
mission. The  one  took  place  (if  at  all)  on  the  eighth 
day  of  the  month  Bui  (B.  c.  1009) ;  the  other,  according 
to  the  Scriptural  account,  on  the  twenty-third  day  of  the 


308  TRADITIONS  OF  FREEMASONRY. 

month  Ethanim  (B.  c.  1008),  or  ten  months  and  fifteen 
days  after  the  former  ;  this  time  was  doubtless  employed 
in  making  the  holy  vessels,  ornaments,  vestments  for  the 
priests,  etc.  Is  it  supposable  that  Solomon  would  have 
delayed  distributing  his  rewards  for  nearly  eleven  months 
after  the  time  had  arrived  in  which  they  were  promised  ? 

Another  prominent  error  in  the  conferring  of  this  de- 
gree is,  the  confounding  of  the  key-stone  of  the  Mark 
with  the  cope-stone  of  this  degree.  In  the  Mark  degree,  the 
key-stone  is  said,  and  properly,  "  to  have  belonged  to  the 
principal  arch  of  King  Solomon's  Temple ;"  in  this  degree 
the  same  stone  is  used,  and  denominated  the  cope-stone. 
A  Icey-ttone  is  the  fastening  stone  of  an  arch  ;  the  cope- 
stone  is  the  last,  highest  or  finishing-stone  of  a  building. 

The  key-stone,  according  to  the  original  ritual,  be- 
longed to  a  secret  apartment  of  the  temple,  and  which 
can  only  be  explained  in  the  degree  of  Secret  Master. 
The  cope-stone,  the  placing  of  which  was  celebrated 
with  great  joy,  and  which  is  commemorated  in  this  de- 
gree, was  the  last,  highest  or  finishing-stone  of  the  tem- 
ple, and  did  not  belong  to  an  arch,  monitorial  picture- 
makers  to  the  contrary  notwithstanding. 

Among  the  Jews,  on  the  twenty-third  day  of  the  month 
Ethanim,  or  Tizri,  was  held  "  a  feast  of  rejoicing  for  the 
law,"  a  solemnity  in  memory  of  the  covenant  that  the 
Lord  made  with  the  Hebrews,  in  giving  them  the  law  by 
the  mediation  of  Moses.  Solomon  availed  himself  of 
this  annual  feast  to  dedicate  the  temple.  Any  thing  de- 
signed for  the  worship  or  service  of  God  was  consecrated 
with  religious  ceremonies.  There  are  many  illustrations 
of  this  fact  in  the  Scriptures,  which  proves  it  of  very 
early  date.  Moses  dedicated  the  tabernacle  built  in  the 
wilderness,  and  also  the  holy  vessels  set  apart  for  divine 


COINCIDENCES  WITH  THE  MYSTERIES.  309 

service.  Hannah  dedicated  the  infant  Samuel  to  the 
service  of  God.  Not  only  were  sacred  places  dedicated, 
but  also  cities,  their  walls  and  their  gates,  and  even 
private  houses.  When  Nehemiah  had  finished  the  walls 
and  gates  of  Jerusalem,  he  dedicated  them.  The  title 
of  Psalm  xxx.  implies,  that  it  was  sung  at  the  dedi- 
cation of  David's  house.  Moses  ordered  proclamation 
to  be  made  on  the  day  of  battle  at  the  head  of  the  army. 
"  What  man  is  there  that  hath  built  a  new  house,  and 
hath  not  dedicated  it?  let  him  go  and  return  to  his 
house,  lest  he  die  in  the  battle,  and  another  man  dedi- 
cate it."  (Deut.  xx.  5.) 

Accompanied  by  the  princes,  Levites,  elders  and  the 
whole  people,  Solomon  went  forth  to  the  city  of  David 
on  Mount  Zion  and  brought  the  Ark  of  the  Covenant 
with  shouting  and  praise,  burning  incense  and  offering 
sacrifices  as  they  marched  and  danced  before  it,  and  car- 
ried it  up  to  the  temple  where  it  was  placed  in  the  Holy 
of  Holies,  between  the  Cherubims. 

The  ark  was  built  by  Bezaleel,  about  A.  M.  2513, 
while  the  Children  of  Israel  were  wandering  in  the  wil- 
derness, in  accordance  of  a  command  of  God  to  Moses. 
It  was  kept  in  the  tabernacle  in  charge  of  priests  conse- 
crated for  that  particular  purpose.  In  its  side  was  placed 
the  Book  of  the  Law,  and  within  it  were  the  two  tables 
of  stone. 

Several  remarkable  circumstances  are  recorded  in  the 
Scriptures  concerning  the  ark  ;  among  them :  That,  at 
the  passage  of  the  River  Jordan,  in  the  spring  of  A.  M. 
2553,  the  waters  being  very-  high,  the  priests  bore  the 
ark  to  the  edge  of  the  river,  arid  as  soon  as  the  soles  of 
their  feet  touched  the  water,  it  gathered  above  them  as  a 
wall,  and  all  the  Children  of  Israel  passed  over  on  dry 


310  TRADITIONS  OF  FREEMASONRY. 

land,  and  when  the  ark  had  passed  over,  the  waters 
resumed  their  natural  course. 

Three  hundred  and  thirty-five  years  afterward  it  was 
captured  by  the  Philistines  and  carried  to  Ashdod  ;  the 
inhabitants  being  smitten  with  a  grievous  disease,  it  was 
removed ;  but  the  disease  attacking  the  inhabitants  of, 
each  city  where  it  rested  among  the  Philistines,  at  the 
end  of  seven  months  it  was  restored  to  the  Jews  at 
Kirjath-jearim,  where  it  remained  twenty  years,  when  it 
was  removed  by  David  with  much  ceremony  to  Mount 
Zion,  and  was  deposited  by  Solomon  in  the  temple  where 
it  remained  until  the  destruction  of  that  edifice  by  the 
Assyrians,  at  which  time  it  had  been  in  existence  about 
one  thousand  years. 

The  final  disposition  of  the  ark  is  unknown,  it  was 
probably  burnt  with  the  temple.  The  Hebrews  believe 
that  it  will  be  found  and  restored  to  them  with  the  land 
of  their  fathers.  It  is  recorded  in  2  Maccabees  vii.  that 
the  Prophet  Jeremiah  took  the  ark,  just  before  the  de- 
struction of  the  temple,  and  hid  it  in  a  cave  in  the  hill 
from  which  Moses  beheld  the  Promised  Land. 

During  the  ceremonies  of  dedication,  which  lasted 
seven  days,  Solomon  and  the  people  offered  an  immense 
number  of  unblemished  victims  as  sacrifices ;  and  in 
evidence  of  the  acceptance  of  their  oblations  by  God, 
"  fire  came  down  from  heaven,  and  consumed  the  burnt- 
offerings  and  the  sacrifices."  When  the  Children  of  Israel 
witnessed  this  manifestation  of  the  presence  of  God, "  they 
bowed  themselves  with  their  faces  to  the  ground  upon 
the  pavement,  and  worshiped,  and  praised  the  Lord,  say- 
ing, For  He  is  good  ;  for  His  mercy  endureth  for  ever." 

The  fame  of  Solomon  for  wisdom  and  riches  spread 
far  and  wide,  even  to  the  uttermost  parts  of  the  earth. 


OF 

R 

m 

COINCIDENCES  WITH  THE  MYSTERIES.  311 

"  And  when  the  Queen  of  Sheba  heard  of  the  fame  of 
Solomon  concerning  the  name  of  the  Lord,  she  came  to 
prove  him  with  hard  questions.  And  she  came  to  Jeru- 
salem with  a  very  great  train,  with  camels  that  bare 
spices,  and  very  much  gold,  and  precious  stones ;  and  • 
when  she  was  come  to  Solomon,  she  communed  with  him 
of  all  that  was  in  her  heart."  (1  Kings  x.  1,  2.)  The 
succeeding  eleven  verses  detail  many  particulars  of  this 
visit  and  the  presents  made.  Josephus  says  that  she 
brought  and  presented  to  Solomon  the  tree  that  produces 
the  Balsam  of  Gilead,  its  first  introduction  into  Palestine. 

Masonic  tradition  says,  that  on  first  beholding  the 
temple,  so  imposing  in  position,  so  magnificent  in  orna- 
ment, and  so  dazzling  to  the  eye,  she  put  up  her  hands 
in  sign  of  astonishment  and  admiration,  and  exclaimed, 
"A  Most  Excellent  Master  hath  done  this." 

The  Abyssinians,  according  to  Mr.  Bruce,  have  a  tra- 
dition that  one  of  their  queens  (whom  they  claim  to  be 
the  Queen  of  Sheba  of  the  Scriptures)  visited  Solomon  to 
prove  his  learning  and  to  view  the  disposition  made  of 
the  vast  amount  of  gold  and  precious  stones  taken  from 
her  country.  "  They  say  she  was  a  Pagan  when  she  left 
Azab  or  Saba,  but  being  full  of  admiration  at  the  sight 
of  Solomon's  works,  she  was  converted  to  Judaism,  in 
Jerusalem ,  and  bore  him  a  son  whom  she  called  Menilek, 
and  who  was  their  first  king,  all  the  previous  sovereigns 
having  been  females,  and  that  his  posterity  still  sit  upon 
the  throne." 

Another  tradition  relates,  that  as  Solomon  was  walking 
around  the  courts  of  the  temple  early  in  the  morning  of 
the  day  set  apart  for  the  celebration  of  the  cope-stone, 
contemplating  on  its  beautiful  proportions,  its  magnifi- 
cence in  finish  and  peculiar  excellence  in  workmanship, 


312  •    TRADITIONS   OF  FREEMASONRY. 

and  in  his  heart  offering  adorations  to  Deity  that,  not- 
withstanding the  fact  that  the  chief  architect  had  met 
an  untimely  end  and  the  work  thereby  delayed  for  a 
time,  yet  he  had  found  among  the  workmen  one  who  had 
been  able  to  supply  his  place  and  finish  the  building  ac- 
cording to  the  original  designs,  when,  raising  his  eyes, 
he  uplifted  his  hands  in  sign  of  astonishment  as  he  ob- 
served Adoniram  (who  had  taken  the  place  of  the  chief 
architect)  approaching  him.  Solomon  seized  him  by  the 

hand  and  exclaimed which  means and 

immediately   adopted  the and as  the 

means  of  recognition  for  a  new  degree,  which  he  that 
day  established  as  a  reward  of  merit  to  the  most  skill- 
ful and  praiseworthy  among  the  workmen. 

In  conclusion,  the  temple  completed,  to  a  Mason,  repre- 
sents the  temple  of  the  present  life  ;  the  foreign  country 
into  which,  after  its  completion,  he  is  expected  to  travel, 
is  that  undiscovered  country  from  whose  bourne  no  trav- 
eler returns.  The  wages  which  he  is  to  receive  are  the 
rewards  of  a  well-spent  life,  and  the  knowledge  of  divine 
truth  which  the  Grand  Architect  of  the  Universe  will 
bestow  on  all  who  have  faithfully  performed  their  allotted 
task.  If  the  lessons  thus  taught  have  their  due  influence 
on  his  life  and  conduct,  he  will  then  feel  as  did  the  Chil- 
dren of  Israel,  and  exclaim,  "  For  he  is  good,  for  his  mercy 
endurelh  for  ever  1" 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

EOYAL    AEG  II    DEGEEE. 

INTRODUCTION  —  Condition  of  the  Craft  at  the  Commencement  of  the  Eight- 
eenth Century  —  Sir  Christopher  Wren  removed  from  Office  —  Grand 
Master  appointed  by  the  Sovereign  —  Wm.  Benson  appointed  —  Recorda 
of  the  Grand  Lodge  at  York  very  brief —  Dr.  Desaguliers  Initiated  — 
Efforts  to  Eevive  the  Institution,  which  prove  Successful  —  Require- 
ments —  Increase  of  the  Society  —  Schism  —  Existed  Seventy  Years  — 
Cause  of  the  Schism  —  Laurence  Dermott —  Interference  of  the  Grand 
Lodge  at  London  in  the  Jurisdiction  of  that  at  York  —  Rupture  never 
Healed  —  Grand  Lodges  of  Ireland  and  Scotland  sympathize  with  that 
of  York  —  Schismatics  availed  Themselves  of  the  Rupture  —  No  Evi- 
dence that  the  Grand  Lodge  at  York  sustained  their  Claim  —  Schismat- 
ics Denounced  —  Grand  Lodge  of  England  makes  a  Change  in  the  Meth- 
ods of  Recognition  —  Seceders  claiming  to' be  Ancient  Masons  denounce 
the  others  as  Moderns  —  A  New  Grand  Lodge  formed  under  the  Duke 
ofAthol  —  Chevalier  Ramsey  —  New  Degree  —  Grand  Lodge  rejects  it 
—  New  Degree  adopted  by  the  Seceders  to  increase  their  Popularity  — 
Evidences  that  a  Royal  Arch  Degree  was  introduced  about  A.  n.  3740  — 
Thomas  Dunckerly  —  Introduces  the  Degree  to  the  Grand  Lodge  of 
England  —  Involved  a  Change  in  the  Master's  Degree  —  Adopted  in 
A.  D.  1779  —  Rite  of  Perfection  —  Table  of  Royal  Arch  Degrees  —  Where 
Cultivated  —  Royal  Arch  Degree  first  Practiced  in  this  Country  in  A.  D. 
1769  —  The  American,  a  New  Degree  —  Made  up  from  other  Degrees  — 
Speculations  Relative  to  its  Authors  —  Credit  belongs  to  Thomas  Smith 
Webb  —  Want  of  Uniformity  in  Usage  —  Differences  between  the  Holy 
Royal  Arch  and  the  American  Degree. 

MASONRY  is  a  progressive  science ;  all  its  mysterious 
light,  all  its  sublime  truths  are  not  at  once  developed  ;  it 
is  only  by  gradual  steps  that  its  beauties  are  unfolded  to 
the  wondering  mind  of  the  aspirant. 

As  in  the  ascent  of  a  high  mountain,  the  traveler  often 
stops  and  turns  upon  his  path  to  survey  the  beautiful 

(315) 


316  TRADITIONS   OF   FREEMASONRY. 

landscape  spread  out  before  him,  at  each  stop  new  scenes 
are  discovered,  each  succeeding  one  more  beautiful  than 
the  preceding,  until  the  summit  is  reached,  when  the  whole 
of  the  magnificent  surroundings  are  displayed  before  his 
enchanted  gaze  in  all  their  gorgeous  beauty. 

So,  too,  in  Masonry ;  at  each  step  of  the  candidate's 
progress  he  is  caused  to  pause  and  ponder  well  on  that 
which  he  has  already  received  before  he  is  permitted  to 
seek  further  advancement.  It  is  by  these  periods  of  pro- 
bation that  the  character  of  the  candidate  for  zeal,  fidel- 
ity and  intelligence  is  tested  ;  and  he  is  at  the  same  time 
prepared  by  gradual  revelations  for  the  effulgence  of  light, 
contained  in  the  sublime,  august  degree  of  Koyal  Arch 
Mason. 

In  this,  the  last  masonic  degree  of  the  American  sys- 
tem, the  candidate  is  instructed  in  the  whole  mystery  of 
Masonry ;  that  which  was  dark  and  inexplicable  in  the 
third  degree,  is  in  this  made  light  and  fully  explained. 
The  candidate  finds  himself  at  the  acme  of  the  system  ; 
the  veil  is  lifted,  and  he  comprehends  its  ineffable  bean- 
ties. 

In  tracing  the  origin  and  history  of  the  Royal  Arch 
Degree,  it  will  be  necessary  to  revert  to  the  condition  of 
the  fraternity  of  Masons  at  the  close  of  the  seventeenth 
and  in  the  early  part  of  the  eighteenth  century  ;  this  will 
involve  a  repetition  of  some  of  the  facts  alluded  to  in 
previous  chapters. 

Toward  the  close  of  the  seventeenth  century  Masonry 
fell  into  disuetude  ;  the  age  and  numerous  avocations  of 
the  Grand  Master,  Sir  Christopher  Wren,  prevented  his 
giving  the  necessary  attention  to  the  craft,  and  the  an- 
nual festivals  and  quarterly  meetings  were  ^neglected. 
The  appointment  of  Grand  Master  appears  tc  have  beeu 


COINCIDENCES  WITH  THE  MYSTERIES.  317 

vested  in  the  sovereign.  Soon  after  the  accession  of 
George  I.  to  the  throne,  he  removed  Sir  Christopher 
Wren  from  office  and  appointed  a  William  Benson  ;  the 
latter  was  unfitted  for  the  position,  and  so  unpopular  was 
the  appointment,  that  the  king  was  obliged  to  remove 
him  the  following  year.  The  craftsmen  refused  to  meet 
or  hold  communication  with  him.  Masonry  languished  ; 
and  it  is  supposed  that  A.  D.  1717  there  were  but  four 
lodges  remaining  in  the  south  of  England. 

We  have  no  records  of  the  condition  of  the  Grand 
Lodge  at  York  beyond  the  mere  fact  that  it  was  oper- 
ating and  claimed  jurisdiction  over  the  north  of  England. 

Dr.  Desaguliers,  a  Fellow  of  the  Royal  Society,  and 
Professor  of  Philosophy,  was  initiated  about  A.  D.  1715. 
Struck  with  the  peculiar  ceremonies  of  initiation,  and 
deeply  impressed  with  the  sublime  principles  of  the  fra- 
ternity, as  being  eminently  calculated  to  contribute  much 
toward  the  amelioration  of  the  condition  of  mankind,  he 
at  once  set  about  efforts  to  revive  the  institution,  increase 
the  number  of  its  members,  and  extend  its  usefulness. 
His  efforts  were  successful — the  annual  festivals  and 
quarterly  meetings  were  revived ;  the  barriers  were 
thrown  down,  and  the  institution  opened  to  all  whom  the 
members  might  approve,  without  regard  to  occupation  or 
position  in  life,  the  only  requirements  were  that  of  "  being 
men  free  born,  of  lawful  age,  not  maimed  or  deformed, 
of  good  report  and  well  recommended  ;"  other  regulations 
were  made,  having  reference  to  the  authority  and  govern- 
ment of  the  fraternity  and  constituency  of  the  Grand 
Lodge.  The  beneficial  results  of  these  changes  are  wit- 
nessed in  the  extension  of  the  order  over  the  habitable 
globe.  The  body  thus  revived  in  London  was  known  as 
the  "  Grand  Lodge  of  England,"  in  contradistinction  to 


518  TRADITIONS    OF    FREEMASONRY. 

that  at  York,  whose  style  was  "  Grand  Lodge  of  aU 
England." 

The  impetus  the  institution  received  from  the  new 
order  of  things  in  the  south,  drew  the  attention  of  society 
at  large  to  the  fraternity  ;  men  of  the  highest  rank  and 
of  the  most  brilliant  literary  and  scientific  reputation 
sought  initiation.  In  the  course  of  a  few  years  so  popu- 
lar did  the  institution  become,  that  there  were  not  digni- 
ties sufficient  to  satisfy  the  ambitious,  and  the  result  was 
a  schism  and  the  formation  of  a  new  body,  under  the 
specious  title  of  the  "  Grand  Lodge  of  Ancient  York 
Masons  ;"  they,  the  new  body,  applying  to  the  legitimate 
Masons  the  invidious  term  of  "  Modern  Masons."  This 
schism  existed  over  seventy  years ;  the  bodies  united 
in  A.  D.  1813,  under  the  Duke  of  Sussex,  as  Grand 
Master. 

A  short  time  after  the  schism,  we  first  hear  of  a  degree 
called  Holy  Royal  Arch.  Up  to  this  period  but  three 
degrees  were  recognized  in  England. 

The  schismatic  trouble  in  England  originated  with  a 
number  of  unruly  spirits,  who,  having  been  initiated  and 
passed  and  anxious  to  receive  the  Master's  degree,  in- 
duced some  of  the  older  Masons  to  open  a  lodge  of  Mas- 
ters and  confer  on  them  that  degree  without  the  author- 
ity of  a  warrant ;  presenting  themselves  as  visitors  to  the 
regular  lodges  the  facts  became  known,  and  at  the  fol- 
lowing quarterly  communication  of  the  Grand  Lodge 
the  proceedings  were  denounced  in  fitting  terms.  At 
this  the  malcontents  took  umbrage,  and,  being  joined  by 
others  of  like  character,  they,  in  defiance  of  the  Grand 
Lodge,  opened  lodges  in  various  parts  of  London.  Pay- 
ing but  little  if  any  attention  to  the  moral  character  of 
the  candidates,  reducing  the  initiatory  fee  to  a  nominal 


COINCIDENCES   WITH   THE  MYSTERIES.  319 

Bum,  they  assumed  the  character  of  convivial  clubs,  and 
rapidly  increased  in  number. 

Laurence  Dermott,  an  Irish  Mason  of  considerable 
ability,  and  a  very  shrewd  and  active  man,  affiliated  with 
the  seceders,  and  for  many  years  exercised  a  controlling 
influence  among  them.  In  A.  D.  1756  he  published  a 
book  entitled  Ahiman  Bezon,  or  a  Help  to-  a  Brother  ; 
of  which  nine  editions  were  printed  in  England  and 
several  in  the  United  States  ;  indeed,  it  was  recognized 
in  this  country  as  a  standard  publication  of  the  old  regu- 
lations, until  within  a  few  years  past,  by  nearly  all  the 
Grand  Lodges. 

The  Grand  Lodge  of  England,  by  its  unwarranted 
interference  in  the  jurisdiction  of  the  Grand  Lodge  of 
York,  created  a  breach  between  them  which  was  never 
healed.  Application  was  made  to  the  Grand  Lodge  at 
London  by  a  number  of  Masons,  residents  of  York,  for  a 
charter  to  form  a  new  lodge  in  the  latter  city,  and  their 
request  was  granted.  This  action  not  only  caused  a 
rupture  between  the  two  Grand  Bodies,  but  also  caused 
a  coolness  between  it  and  the  Grand  Lodges  of  Ireland 
and  Scotland  which  continued  for  many  years. 

The  schismatics,  or  secedcrs,  took  advantage  of  this 
circumstance,  and  proclaimed  that  they  were  not  only 
countenanced,  but  were  actually  working  by  the  author- 
ity of  the  Grand  Lodge  at  York.  No  evidence,  if  indeed 
there  ever  was  any,  remains  to  sustain  their  claim. 

The  regular  lodges  were  forbidden  to  admit  the  seceders 
as  visitors,  and  as  a  means  of  prevention — the  systems 
being  the  same — the  Grand  Lodge  adopted  a  slight  change 
in  the  means  of  recognition ;  this  was  an  ill-advised 
measure — it  was  not  only  an  infringement  of  an  old  land- 
mark, but  also  furnished  the  seceders  with  a  new  argu- 


320  TRADITIONS   OP  FREEMASONRY. 

rnent,  and  one  which  they  did  not  fail  to  avail  themselves 
of,  to  sustain  the  position  assumed  by  them,  that  they 
were  the  Ancient  Masons,  and  the  other  party  the  Mod- 
ern. A  Grand  Lodge  was  formed,  and  the  Duke  of 
Atliol,  who  was  Grand  Master  of  Scotland,  was  induced 
to  accept  the  office  of  Grand  Master. 

About  A.  D.  1740  the  Chevalier  Ramsey  appeared  in 
London.  He  was  a  Scotchman  by  birth,  but  had  long 
been  a  resident  of  France ;  a  zealous  partisan  of  the 
Pretender,  he  sought  to  advance  the  Stuart  interest  by 
the  use  of  Masonry.  He  brought  with  him  several  new 
degrees,  which  he  endeavored  to  introduce  in  the  English 
lodges.  Among  these  degrees  was  one  which  he  called 
Royal  Arch.  All  the  innovators  on  the  masonic  system 
have  claimed  antiquity  for  their  degrees,  and  that  they 
"  came  from  over  the  sea,"  or  were  of  foreign  origin. 
Ramsey  claimed  that  his  Royal  Arch  originated  in  the 
Holy  Land.;  Rejected  by  the  Grand  Lodge,  he  next 
sought  alliance  with  the  Ancients  /  here,  too,  he  was 
foiled,  so  far  as  his  ulterior  objects  were  concerned. 

The  shrewd  Laurence  Dermott,  who  was  for  many 
years  the  active  spirit  among  the  seceders,  saw  in  this 
new  degree  a  means  of  drawing  attention  to  the  Ancient 
Lodges  and  to  increase  their  popularity.  After  a  time 
it  was  claimed  arid  asserted  that  the  Moderns  were 
ignorant  of  the  Master's  part,  and  that  the  Ancients 
alone  had  that  knowledge  ;  and  that  there  were  four 
degrees  in  Ancient  Masonry,  whereas  the -tG^nd  Lodge 
acknowledged  and  knew  of  but  three.  Emboldened  by 
success,  in  A.  D.  1756,  Dermott  published  the  Ahiman 
Rezon,  in  which  similar  statements  were  made.  Although 
the  Holy  Royal  Arch  put  forth  by  the  Ancients  was  not 
the  same  as  Ramsey's  Royal  Arch,  still  there  was  a  suffi- 


COINCIDENCES  WITH  THE  MYSTERIES.  321 

cient  sameness  to  establish  the  fact  that  from  it  Dermott 
obtained  his  data  for  the  former  degree. 

That  the  Grand  Lodge  of  England  did  not  recognize 
the  degree  as  late  as  A.  D.  1758,  is  evidenced  by  the  reply 
of  the  Grand  Secretary  to  an  Ancient  Mason  who  had 
applied  to  him  for  relief ;  "  for/'  said  he,  "  our  society  is 
neither  Arch  or  Koyal  Arch."  The  Grand  Lodge  of  the 
Ancients  was  formed  about  A.  D.  1753,  and  as  the  publi- 
cation by  Dermott  of  his  Ahiman  Rezon  was  authorized 
by  that  body,  and  it  stating  that  Ancient  Masonry  con- 
sists of  four  degrees,  furnishes  sufficient  evidence  that  the 
Arch  Degree  was  one  of  their  series  as  early  at  least  as 
the  formation  of  their  Grand  Lodge.  Laurence  Dermott, 
after  some  remarks  on  the  conduct  of  certain  Masons 
who  were  dissatisfied  at  not  having  been  admitted  to  the 
Koyal  Arch,  says,  "  To  this  I  will  add  the  opinion  of  our 
Worshipful  Brother,  Dr.  Fitfield  D'Assigney,  printed  in 
the  year  1744.  '  Some  of  the  fraternity/  says  he,  '  have 
expressed  an  uneasiness  at  the  Royal  Arch  being  kept  a 
secret  from  them,  since  they  had  already  passed  through 
tlie  usual  degrees  of  probation  ;  but  I  cannot  help  being 
of  the  opinion,  that  they  have  no  right  to  any  such  benefit 
until  they  make  a  proper  application,  and  are  received 
with  due  formality  as  having  passed  the  chair,  and  given 
undeniable  proofs  of  their  skill.' JJ  It  is  evident,  there- 
fore, that  the  degree  was  in  existence  before  A.  D.  1744, 
and  that  it  was  conferred  only  on  such  as  are  at  this  day 
termed  actual  Past  Masters. 

In  its  origin  the  degree  was  given  as  a  concluding  sec- 
tion, or  completion  of  the  Master's  part,  and  as  the  only 
Master  Masons  were  those  who  were  or  had  been  Mast3rs 
of  a  lodge,  the  degree  was  regarded  as  peculiar  to  such, 
when  the  Master's  degree  became  more  common. 


322  TRADITIONS    OF    FREEMASONRY. 

Thomas  Dunckerley,  an  illegitimate  son  of  George  II., 
a  man  of  most  brilliant  intellect,  was  chosen  Master  of  a 
regular  lodge  in  A.  D.  1770  ;  he  soon  assumed  a  high  posi- 
tion among  the  distinguished  Masons  of  the  age,  and 
finally  became  Grand  Master.  Visiting  the  Ancient 
Lodges,  he  became  acquainted  with  the  new  degree,  and 
"  resolved  that  they  should  not  appropriate  to  themselves 
a  single  pearl  of  any  real  value  toward  the  elucidation  of 
the  craft  ;"  acting  upon  the  same  principle  with  John 
Wesley,  who  observed  upon  a  certain  occasion,  "  It  is  a 
pity  the  devil  should  monopolize  all  the  best  tunes/7  he 
determined  to  introduce  the  degree  into  the  regular 
lodges. 

Divesting  the  degree  as  practiced  by  the  Ancients  of 
many  of  its  crudities,  in  fact,  remodeling  it  and  revising 
the  lecture,  he  presented  the  Holy  Royal  Arch  degree  to 
the  Grand  Lodge.  It  was  at  once  found  that  the  prac- 
tice of  this  new  degree  required  a  change  in  that  of  the 
Master  Mason's  degree — a  removal  and  a  substitution,  "  a 
transfer,"  says  Dr.  Oliver,  "  of  the  Master's  word."  The 
new  degree  having  received  the  patronage  of  the  Duke 
of  Clarence  (brother  of  the  king),  and  enriched  by  the 
genius  of  Dunckerley,  withstood  the  attacks  made  upon 
it.  The  influence  of  the  Duke  of  Clarence  in  the  Grand 
Lodge,  united  with  his  own,  enabled  Dunckerley  to  suc- 
cessfully carry  his  project  through  ;  and  since  A.  D.  1779 
the  "  Holy  Royal  Arch"  has  been  cultivated  under  the 
authority  of  the  Grand  Lodge  of  England,  and  the  degree 
declared  to  be  a  part  of  Ancient  Masonry. 

From  the  relations  existing  between  the  Grand  Lodges 
of  Ireland  and  Scotland  and  the  Grand  Lodge  of  the 
Atliol  Masons,  as  the  Ancients  were  commonly  designated, 
the  Royal  Arch  degree  was  carried  into  those  countries 


COINCIDENCES  WITH  THE  MYSTERIES.  323 

and  became  a  part  of  their  respective  systems  even  before 
its  adoption  by  the  Grand  Lodge  of  England. 

It  is  proposed  to  advert  to  the  introduction  of  craft 
Masonry  into  various  countries,  only  so  far  as  is  neces- 
sary to  illustrate  the  history  of  the  origin  of  the  Royal 
Arch  degree.  Soon  after  the  revival  in  the  south  of 
England,  the  improved  system  was  introduced  into  France 
and  Germany  by  the  English  residents  in  both  countries  ; 
here,  as  in  England,  the  society  became  very  popular ; 
but  the  caprice  of  the  intriguing  spirits  of  the  times 
assumed  a  different  phase,  and  the  rage  was  for  new 
degrees  with  high-sounding  titles  and  showy  costumes. 
The  politician,  the  priest,  the  philosopher,  the  astrologer, 
the  deist,  the  religionist  and  the  ambitious  took  advan- 
tage of  the  prevalent  idea.  Kings,  princes,  statesmen, 
clergymen,  politicians,  tailors,  the  men  of  science  ;  in  fact, 
men  in  all  ranks  of  life  became  actively  engaged  in  man- 
ufacturing degrees  and  arranging  rites,  to  advance  their 
particular  interests,  theories,  dogmas  or  ambitious  pre- 
tensions. The  lists  enumerate  upward  of  three  thousand 
degrees,  each  claiming  to  be  masonic,  or  analogous 
thereto,  all  created  within,  three  quarters  of  a  century 
after  the  revival. 

Some  few  of  these  degrees  were  useful-,  instructive  and 
eminently  worth  cultivation  ;  among  such  was  a  series  of 
twenty-five  degrees,  which  received  the  name  of  Rite  of 
Perfection.  This  rite  appeared  in  France  in  A.  D.  1758, 
and  was  introduced  in  the  United  States  in  A.  D.  1764  ; 
eight  degrees  were  afterward  added  to  it,  making  thirty- 
three  in  all,  and  styled  the  "Ancient  and  Accepted  Scottisli 
Rite."  The  thirteenth  degree  of  each  of  these  rites  was 
and  is  a  Royal  Arch,  known  under  tke  various  titles  of 
Royal  Arch,  Enoch's  Arch,  Knights  of  the  Ninth  Arch, 
and  the  Ancient  Arch  of  King  Solomon. 


324  TRADITIONS  OF  FREEMASONRY. 

We  find  from  A.  D.  1740  to  A.  D.  1779  four  degrees 
styled  (or  four  phases  of  the  Royal  Arch  degree,  neither 
of  which  is  the  degree  practiced  in  this  country  under 
the  authority  of  the  General  Grand  Chapter) — 

1.  Ramsey's  Royal  Arch,  the  date  of  which  is  about  A.  D.  1740 

2.  Dermott's  Holy  Royal  Arch,  "          "          «          1750 
8.  Royal  Arch  of  the  Rite  of  Perfection,  of  1758 

4.  Dunckerley's  Holy  Royal  Arch,  of  1779 

to  which  may  be  added,  to  complete  the  table — 

5.  Webb's,  or  the  American  Royal  Arch,  of  about  A.  r>.  1796-7. 

Ramsey's  Royal  Arch  was  cultivated  for  a  time  in 
France,  but  was  superseded  by  the  degree  of  the  Rite  of 
Perfection  ;  Dermott's  continued  to  be  practiced  by  the 
Ancients  or  Athol  Masons  up  to  the  union  in  A.  D.  1813  . 
Dunckerley's  Holy  Royal  Arch  is  practiced  in  all  places 
recognizing  the  jurisdiction  of  the  Grand  Lodge  of  Eng- 
land, and  modifications  of  it  in  Ireland,  Scotland,  Canada, 
Pennsylvania  and  Virginia.  The  Webb,  or  American 
degree,  is  cultivated  in  the  United  States  only. 

The  earliest  account  of  the  working  of  the  Royal  Arch 
degree  in  this  country,  distinct  from  the  Rite  of  Perfec- 
tion, is  the  minutes  of  St.  Andrew's  Royal  Arch  Lodge, 
Boston  ;  the  first  meeting  of  that  body  is  recorded  as 
having  been  held  August  28,  A.  D.  1769.  The  degree 
was  conferred,  as  was  the  custom  from  its  origin,  under 
the  authority  of  a  Master's  warrant.  The  warrant  for 
St.  Andrew's  Lodge  was  derived  from  the  Grand  Lodge 
of  Scotland,  and  consequently  it  must  have  been  the  Der- 
mott  degree  that  was  practiced. 

The  degree  practiced  in  the  United  States  differs 
from  each  of  the  first  four  before  named,  in  date,  history, 
names  of  officers,  ceremony,  etc. ;  it  was,  in  fact,  when 


COINCIDENCES  WITH  THE  MYSTERIES.  325 

first  promulgated  in  Thomas  Smith  Webb's  Freemason's 
Monitor,  A.  D.  1797,  a  new  degree.  In  its  manufacture, 
here  a  little  and  there  a  little  was  taken  from  the  Rite 
of  Perfection,  a  little  from  Dermott's,  and  some  from 
Dunckerley's  Holy  Royal  Arch,  with  new  matter  inter* 
spcrscd  by  way  of  cement,  and  the  result  was  a  fifth 
phase,  or  the  Royal  Arch  as  it  is  now  practiced  in  all  but 
two  of  the  States  of  the  Union. 

The  degree  is  inferior  to  Dunckerley's  in  sublimity  of 
language,  or  scientific  construction,  and  is  particularly 
unfortunate  in  the  omission  of  symbols  which  added 
much  to  the  interest  of  the  former. 

The  American  system  was  arranged  only  a  few  years 
after  the  proclamation  of  peace  with  the  mother  country. 
The  incidents  before  and  during  the  war  had  engendered 
a  spirit  of  hostility  to  England  that  has  not  entirely  dis- 
appeared even  to  this  day.  The  people  were  opposed  to 
any  thing  English  ;  and  in  the  arrangement  of  degrees, 
explanations  of  ceremonies  and  symbols,  the  manufac- 
turers departed  far  from  the  originals,  hardly  retaining 
sufficient  to  permit  an  interchange  of  courtesies.  When 
combining  the  "  Excellent"  with  the  Royal  Arch,  the 
really  instructive  part  of  the  Holy  Royal  Arch  was  omit- 
ted, thus  shearing  it  of  its  most  attractive  feature. 

It  is,  perhaps,  immaterial  in  this  point,  and  yet  man- 
kind have  a  natural  desire  to  know  the  origin  of  matters 
with  which  they  are  connected,  not  only  to  satisfy  curios- 
ity, but  also  that  due  credit  may  be  given.  Thomas 
Smith  Webb's  name  has  been  more  prominently  con- 
nected with  the  American  system  than  that  of  any  of  his 
contemporaries.  The  principal  reason  for  this  is  the  fact 
that  he  published  the  first  American  hand  or  instruction 
book,  and  that  book'contained  the  first  public  announce- 


326  TRADITIONS    OF    FREEMASONRY. 

ment  of  there  being  any  degrees  other  than  the  first  threo 
practiced  in  this  country.  Cross'  account  of  the  li  arrange- 
ment of  the  system  by  THEM"  has  been  given,  but  he  gives 
names  of  none  of  "  THEM  ;"  in  private  conversation  he 
named  "  THEM"  as  Thomas  Smith  Webb,  Henry  Fowle, 
Rev.  George  Richards,  Rev.  Jonathan  Nye,  John  Han- 
mer,  John  Snow,  etc. 

Webb  was  made  a  Mason  in  Keene,  N.  H.,  A.  D.  1792-3, 
when  about  twenty-two  years  of  age  •  four  years  there- 
after he  moved  to  Albany,  N.  Y.,  and  as  a  body  of  the 
Rite  of  Perfection  was  then  working  at  that  place,  it  is 
probable  that  he  received  those  degrees  there.  One  year 
later  we  find  a  book  published  with  his  name  appended 
as  author.  Considering  the  fact  that  Webb  was  but 
about  twenty-six  years  of  age  when  it  was  issued  from 
the  press ;  that  he  had  been  a  Mason  but  four  or  five 
years ;  had  a  growing  family  dependent  upon  his  daily 
avocations,  and  yet  found  time  to  revise  and  remodel  the 
lectures  of  the  craft  degrees,  arrange  and  manufacture  a 
system  of  capitular  degrees,  and  compile  the  monitorial 
part  of  the  ineffable  degrees,  it  must  be  admitted  that  he 
exhibited  a  remarkable  degree  of  industry,  ingenuity 
and  boldness,  for  so  young  a  man  with  so  little  masonic 
or  worldly  experience  and  limited  means  of  acquiring 
masonic  information.  But  whether*  the  introduction  of 
two  new  degrees,  the  Past  and  Most  Excellent  Masters, 
and  the  changes  made  in  the  Master  Mark  Mason  and 
the  Holy  Royal  Arch,  was  or  has  been  advantageous 
to  craft  Masonry  is  problematical. 

Dermott's  Royal  Arch  could  originally  be  conferred 
only  upon  those  who  had  been  Masters  of  lodges,  which 
was  at  that  time  synonymous  with  Master  Mason.  Webb 
retained  that  feature,  as  it  offered  an  opportunity,  which 


COINCIDENCES   WITH  THE  MYSTERIES.  327 

he  improved,  for  the  introduction  of  a  new  degree,  the 
Past  Master's.  Dunckerley's  degree  appears  to  have  been 
given  at  first  as  an  additional  Master's  part,  or  conclud- 
ing section  of  the  Master's  degree,  without  the  require- 
ment of  "  passing  the  chair"  as  a  preliminary  :  and  lodges 
were  authorized  to  convene  themselves  into  chapters  and 
confer  the  degree  ;  next,  an  independent  government  was 
established,  and  separate  chapters  were  held,  and  the 
applicant,  other  than  actual  Past  Masters,  were  required 
to  present  a  dispensation  from  the  Grand  Master,  author- 
izing them  to  pass  the  chair  ;  such  dispensation  was 
granted  only  upon  the  recommendation  of  a  lodge  of 
Master  Masons.  Such  is  still  the  requirement  where  the 
Holy  Eoyal  Arch  is  cultivated. 

In  the  United  States  there  was  no  uniform  usage  as  to 
preliminary  degrees,  until  the  organization  of  the  General 
Grand  Chapter  of  the  United  States.  In  some  of  the 
States  the  possession  of  the  Master  Mark  Mason,  the 
Excellent,  and  Most  Excellent  degrees  were  required  as 
preliminary ;  in  others,  the  Excellent  and  Super  Excellent 
only ;  in  others,  the  having  received  the  installation 
service  of  a  Master  of  a  lodge,  either  by  virtue  of  elec- 
tion to  the  office  or  by  dispensation  ;  and  in  others,  the 
possession  of  the  degree  of  Master  Mason  was  deemed 
sufficient  to  allow  1^e  applicant  to  be  exalted. 

There  was  a  manifest  propriety  in  the  arrangement  of 
a  system  which  would  insure  a  uniform  usage  as  to  the 
order  of  degrees  and  manner  of  conferring  them  ;  but  it 
would  have  been  much  more  advantageous  to  have  incor- 
porated the  Holy  Royal  Arch  instead  of  creating  a  new 
degree. 

The  English  degree  is  far  more  intellectual  than  the 
American  (which  is  equally  true  of  the  symbolic  degrees) ; 


328  TRADITIONS    OF    FREEMASONRY, 

it  opens  a  field  for  investigation,  presents  matters  for  the 
exercise  of  the  reasoning  powers,  and  the  development 
of  mind  and  thought  far  in  advance  of  the  latter.  The 
illustrations  can  only  be  given  within  tyled  doors  ;  but  it 
may  be  proper  to  remark,  that  the  Tetragrainmaton,  the 
Triple  Tau,  and  the  Five  Grand  Signs,  are  not  even 
alluded  to  in  the  Webb  ritual,  and  yet  either  of  these 
subjects  afford  more  food  for  thought  and  investigation 
than  all  of  Webb's  degree  combined.  Shorn  as  the  de- 
gree is  of  much  of  that  which  appropriately  belongs  to  it, 
yet  that  which  remains  is  beautiful  and  imposing  in  cer- 
emony, of  great  moment  to  the  craftsmen,  instructive  and 
eminently  worthy  of  cultivation  by  all  Masons. 


CHAPTER    XV. 


ROYAL    ARCH — CONTINUED. 

INTRODUCTORY — Prevailing  Idea  in  the  Mysteries  and  in  Mascnry  is  a 
Loss  and  a  Recovery  —  Synopsis  of  Events  upon  which  the  Degree  is 
Founded  —  Tradition  of  Nebuchadnezzar — Officers  of  a  Rojal  Arch 
Chapter  —  Jeshua  —  Zerubbabel  —  Ceremony  of  Adoption  —  Adoption 
of  Moses,  Hiram  Abif  and  Zerubbabel  — A  Favorite  of  the  Court 
of  Babylon  —  Commissioned  by  Cyrus  —  Returns  to  Babylon  ;  remains 
Two  Years  ;  returns  to  Jerusalem  —  Haggai  —  Scribes,  Origin  uncertain 
— Ilaggai,  a  Prophet  and  not  a  Scribe  —  Tradition  of  a  Secret  Society  of 
Jews  at  Babylon  —  Captain  of  the  Host  —  Many  Jews  refused  to  avail 
themselves  of  the  Permission  to  Return  to  Jerusalem  —  Tradition  of 
Daniel  and  of  Ezekiel  —  Principal  Sojourner —  Royal  Arch  Captain  — 
Three  Guards  —  Degree  Divided  into  Two  Parts  —  PART  I.  —  Truth  the 
Object  of  Pursuit  —  Humility  Necessary  —  Catenarian  Arch  —  Lessons 
Taught  —  Object  and  Necessity  of  Secrecy  —  Masonry  open  to  all 
Worthy  Men  —  Silence  and  Secrecy  the  Foundation  of  the  Ancient 
Mysteries  —  Time  had  arrived  for  the  Deliverance  of  the  Jews  from 
Egyptian  Bondage  —  Moses  selected  to  Effect  it — His  Installation  and 
Consecration  —  Jethro,  Prince  of  Midian  —  A  Tradition  —  Mountains 
regarded  as  the  Residence  of  the  Gods  —  Mt.  Horeb  —  Seven  Remark- 
able Events —  Nine  Manifestations  of  God's  Presence  on  Earth  —  Fire 
a  Symbol  of  Divine  Love  —  Instances  of  Fire  falling  from  Heaven  as 
Evidences  of  the  Acceptance  of  Sacrifices  —  Symbol  among  the  An- 
cients—  Burning  Bush  —  Putting  off  Shoes  was  derived  from  the 
Patriarchal  Ages  —  Examples  of  the  Act — Custom  Perverted  by 
the  Jmcients  —  Ancient  Christians  practiced  the  Rite  —  Practiced  in 
the  Ancient  Mysteries  —  One  of  the  Proofs  -that  the  whole  Human 
Race  was  derived  from  One  Family  —  Cabalistic  Traditions  of  Angels. 

A  LEARNED  masonic  writer,  says,  in  illustration  of  the 
means  necessary  to  be  used  by  a  Master  of  a  lodge  or 
an  instructor  in  Masonry,  "  He  must  depart  from  the 
usual  routine  j  he  must  amplify  and  illustrate  the  author- 
ized lectures  by  the  introduction  of  parallel  facts  and 
explanatory  observances  connected  with  the  history  and 


330  TRADITIONS  OF  FREEMASONRY. 

antiquities,  manners  and  customs,  laws  and  usages  of  the 
country  and  period,  which  may  form  the  subject  of  the 
degree." 

With  reference  to  the  Eoyal  Arch  degree,  it  is  pro- 
posed to  follow  the  foregoing  suggestions,  to  notice  the 
foundation  upon  which  the  degree  is  based,  tracing  its 
development ;  with  such  explications  of  the  symbols 
used  in  the  Holy  Royal  Arch  degree,  as  may  be  deemed 
necessary  for  as  clear  an  understanding  of  the  mysteries 
of  the  system,  as  can  be  done  without  unvailing  to  the 
unitiated  that  which  is  esoteric. 

We  find  permeating  this  degree  the  same  great  lead- 
ing idea  which  prevailed  in  the  mysteries  of  the  ancients, 
and  in  the  degrees  heretofore  noticed,  viz. :  a  loss  and  a 
recovery  ;  the  difference  here  is  that  it  loses  its  funereal 
character. 

All  nations  have  a  tradition,  more  or  less  complete,  of 
a  universal  deluge  by  which  most  of  mankind  were 
destroyed ;  the  Scriptural  account  says  that  eight  per- 
sons were  saved  in  an  ark,  which  masonic  tradition  says 
was  built  by  SEEM,  HAM  and  JAPHETH. 

After  the  Deluge  Noah  divided  the  earth  between  his 
three  sons.  Shem  was  the  father  of  the  Hebrew  nation, 
who,  when  numbering  but  seventy  souls,  removed  to 
Egypt  during  a  seven  years'  famine,  and  remained  in 
that  country  about  two  hundred  and  fifty  years  after  the 
death  of  Joseph,  in  the  condition  of  slaves.  They  were 
delivered,  after  many  miraculous  exhibitions  of  the  power 
of  the  Almighty,  and  were  conducted  by  Moses  toward 
a  land  that  had  been  promised  by  God  to  their  fore- 
fathers as  their  inheritance.  During  their  wanderings 
in  the  wilderness,  to  commemorate  their  escape  from  the 
hosts  of  Pharaoh  and  their  safe  conduct  through  the 


COINCIDENCES  WITH  THE  MYSTEEIES.  331 

Eed  Sea,  a  tabernacle  was  built  by  MOSES,  AHOLIAB 
and  BEZALEEL. 

The  period  of  expiation  having  been  accomplished, 
they  arrived  in  the  land  of  Canaan,  the  land  promised  1 
to  their  fathers,  the  inhabitants  of  which  they  either  / 
drove  out  of  the  country  or  reduced  to  servitude.     The " 
city  of  Jerusalem,  which  came  into  their  possession,  was  J 
built  upon  five  hills  ;  four  of  which  became  celebrated 
for  remarkable  events  in   sacred  history,  viz. :  Mount 
Moriah,  Mount  Sion,  Mount  Calvary,  and  the  Mount  of 
Olives  ;  on  the  first  named,  Solomon  erected  a  magnifi- 
cent temple  for  the  worship  of  God.     The  splendor  of 
the  temple  excited  the  admiration  as  its  wealth  did  the 
cupidity  of  the  neighboring  nations. 

The  city  had  often  been  attacked,  but  never  was 
entirely  subdued  until  the  time  of  Nebuchadnezzar.  So 
long  as  the  Children  of  Israel  observed  the  ordinances  of 
their  religion  they  were  protected  by  God,  but  when 
they  neglected  the  forms  of  worship  prescribed  by  the 
laws,  and  followed  the  customs  of  the  neighboring 
nations,  God  punished  them  by  allowing  their  enemies 
to  despoil  them. 

Nebuchadnezzar  had  no  immediate  cause  of  quarrel  with 
the  Hebrew  nation.  Assembling  his  army,  he  marched 
— so  says  tradition — without  any  fixed  idea  as  to  the 
nation  to  attack  ;  when  coming  to  the  intersection  of  two 
roads,  it  was  determined  by  augury  which  road  to  take, 
when  the  lot  fell  upon  the  road  which  led  to  Jerusalem. 
After  a  siege  of  eighteen  months  the  city  was  captured ; 
the  temple  was  pillaged  and  destroyed,  the  walls  of  the 
city  demolished,  and  the  city  itself  reduced  to  ruin. 
The  king,  nobles,  priests,  and  a  vast  number  of  the 
people,  including  all  the  better  sort,  were  carried  cap- 


332  TRADITIONS   OP   FREEMASONRY. 

tive  to  Babylon,  thus  fulfilling  the  prophecies  of  Ezekiel, 
Jeremiah,  Micah,  etc. 

Thus  was  the  temple  destroyed  four  hundred  and  sev- 
enty years  and  six  months  after  its  erection,  and  the  people 
carried  captive  to  Babylon  one  thousand  and  sixty-two 
years  after  their  escape  from  their  Egyptian  bondage. 

During  the  reign  of  the  fourth  king  of  Babylon  after 
Nebuchadnezzar,  that  city  was  taken  by  Cyrus  king  of 
Persia,  by  whom  it  was  foretold  by  the  Prophet  Isaiah 
that  he  should  liberate  the  captives.  Accordingly,  in  the 
first  year  of  the  reign  of  Cyrus  over  Babylon,  he  issued 
the  famous  proclamation  recorded  in  the  first  chapter  of 
Ezra.  A  large  number  of  the  Jews  availed  themselves 
of  the  permission  to  return  to  their  own  country  •  and  on 
their  arrival,  under  the  direction  and  superintendence  of 
their  chiefs,  made  preparation  to  rebuild  the  city  of  Jeru- 
salem and  the  temple  of  God.  Under  the  direction  of 
JESHUA,  ZERUBBABEL  and  HAGGAI,  a  tabernacle  was  first 
erected  for  the  accommodation  of  themselves,  as  chiefs  of 
the  undertaking,  near  the  ruins  of  Solomon's  Temple. 

Royal  Arch  Chapters,  according  to  the  American  ritual, 
are  supposed  to  represent  this  tabernacle.  The  officers 
of  a  chapter  represent  the  office-bearers  or  leaders  of  the 
Children  of  Israel  on  their  return  from  Babylon.  The 
first  three  officers  are  designated  the  Grand  Council. 
The  presiding  officer  represents  JESHUA  the  High  Priest, 
who,  with  Zerubbabel,  superintended  the  rebuilding  of 
the  temple.  He  was  High  Priest  by  right  of  birth, 
for  lie  was  the  son  of  Jehozadak — our  translation  has 
it  also  Jozadak — who  was  the  son  of  Seraiah,  who  was 
the  last  High  Priest  before  the  captivity  of  Babylon. 
Seraiah  being  taken  by  Nebuzaradan,  the  General  of  the 
Chaldean  armv,  he  was  carried  to  King  Nebuchadnezzar, 


COINCIDENCES  WITH  THE  MYSTERIES.  333 

then  at  Riblah,  where  he  was  put  to  death  with  seventy 
others,  chief  men  of  Jerusalem,  B.  c.  588.  Jehozadak 
was  carried  captive  into  Babylon. 

The  second  represents  ZERUBBABEL,  and  is  styled  king. 
Zerubbabel — i^ilT  banished,  or  a  stranger  in  Babylon 
— was  of  the  royal  race  of  David.  There  is  often  consid- 
erable difficulty  in  tracing  Scriptural  genealogies,  because 
of  the  apparent  discrepancies  in  the  text ;  the  case  of 
Zerubbabel  is  one  in  point.  In  1  Chronicles  iii.  the  sons 
of  David  are  given,  and  the  line  to  Zedekiah,  who  was 
the  reigning  sovereign  at  the  time  of  the  captivity,  is 
traced.  In  the  nineteenth  verse,  Zerubbabel  is  said  to  be 
the  son  of  Pedaiah.  But  Esdras,  Haggai,  St.  Matthew 
and  St.  Luke  constantly  make  Salathiel  his  father.  Ma- 
sons have  adopted  the  latter  version.  In  either  case 
Zerubbabel  was  a  prince  of  the  house  of  Judah,  as  both 
Salathiel  and  Pedaiah  were  lineal  descendants  of  Zedekiah. 

The  ancient  nations  had  a  singular  ceremony  of  adop- 
tion growing  out  of  the  strong  desire  of  each  to  perpet- 
uate his  family  or  tribe,  a  desire  superinduced  by  an  un- 
defined something  in  expectancy.  The  natural  relations 
of  life — father,  son,  brother,  sister,  etc.,  with  all  their 
"  various  charities,"  are  universally  objects  of  attention. 
A  longing  for  these  relations  are  implanted  in  mankind 
by  nature  itself  for  the  most  important  purposes,  and 
when  Providence  has  denied  them  or  removed  them,  man 
is  uneasy  until  he  has  obtained  a  connection  which  may 
in  some  degree  answer  as  a  substitute.  As  the  principle 
of  lineal  descent,  and  of  affection  passing  by  descent,  is 
the  strongest  in  nature,  it  is  not  surprising  to  find  the 
custom  of  adoption  resorted  to  by  those  who,  not  having 
a  primary  object  of  affection,  desire  to  possess  the  nearest 
resemblance  to  it  which  can  be  obtained. 


334  TRADITIONS   OF   FREEMASONRY. 

We  have  many  instances  of  this  relation  in  the  Bible, 
not  only  as  a  custom  among  the  Hebrews,  but  the  sur- 
rounding nations,  and  understanding  it  renders  clear 
and  intelligible  many  passages  in  the  Scriptures  which 
otherwise  are  obscure  and  apparently  contradictions. 
Thus  Moses,  in  consequence  of  his  adoption  by  Thermu- 
this,  was  called  the  "  son  of  Pharaoh's  daughter." 

And  Hiram  Abif  was  of  the  tribe  of  Dan,  but  by  his 
mother's  adoption  he  was  of  the  tribe  of  Naphtali  ;  and 
so  Zerubbabel  was  the  son  of  Pedaiah,  but  by  adoption 
was  the  son  of  Salathiel. 

Zerubbabel  appears  to  have  been  a  favorite  at  the 
court  of  Babylon.  He  was  highly  honored  by  Cyrus, 
who  committed  to  his  care  the  sacred  vessels  of  the  tem- 
ple, with  which  he  returned  to  Jerusalem.  He  is  always 
named  first  as  being  the  chief  of  the  Jews  that  returned 
to  their  own  country.  He  laid  the  foundations  of  the 
second  temple,  and  restored  the  worship  of  the  Lord  and 
the  usual  sacrifices.  He  refused  to  the  Samaritans  per- 
mission to  assist  in  the  work  of  rebuilding  ;  and  when  it 
was  discontinued,  through  the  instrumentality  of  the  Sa- 
maritans, he  returned  to  Babylon — where  he  remained 
nearly  two  years — and  obtained  the  consent  of  Darius  to 
finish  the  work.  Tradition,  corroborated  by  Josephus 
and  Esdras,  "  says  that  he  was  one  of  the  three  famous 
body-guards  of  Darius,  son  of  Hystaspes."  He  was  the 
leader  of  the  first  party  that  returned  to  Jerusalem  from 
Babylon  after  the  proclamation  of  Cyrus. 

The  third  represents  the  Prophet  Haggai  and  is  styled 
scribe.  Haggai,  the  tenth  of  the  minor  prophets,  was  in 
all  probability  born  in  Babylon,  from  whence  he  accom- 
panied Jeshua  and  Zerubbabel  to  Jerusalem.  The  cap- 
tives, immediately  after  their  return  to  Judea,  began 


COINCIDENCES  WITH  THE  MYSTERIES.  335 

with  ardor  to  rebuild  the  temple ;  but  this  work  was 
suspended  fourteen  years,  till  after  the  death  of  Cam- 
byses.  Darius,  the  son  of  Hystaspes,  coming  to  the 
empire,  Haggai  was  incited  by  God  to  exhort  Zerubba- 
bel  and  Jeshua  to  take  measures  to  resume  the  work 
which  had  been  so  long  interrupted.  The  remonstrances 
had  their  effect ;  and  in  the  second  year  of  Darius,  B.  c. 
520,  the  sixteenth  after  the  return  of  the  Jews  from  Bab- 
ylon, the  work  was  resumed. 

The  origin  of  the  scribes  is  uncertain.  They  were 
probably  first  employed  in  subserviency  to  the  prophets, 
and  perhaps  educated  in  their  schools.  The  word  is  very 
common  in  Scripture,  and  has  several  significations  : 
1.  A  clerk,  writer,  or  secretary.  2.  A  commissary  or 
muster-master  of  an .  army,  who  reviews  the  troops  and 
keeps  the  list  or  roll ;  and  3.  Doctor  of  the  law ;  but 
never  is  used  to  indicate  a  prophet,  unless  Ezra  may  be 
the  exception.  Why  Haggai,  a  prophet,  should,  in  the 
ritual  of  the  Royal  Arch,  be  said  to  represent  a  scribe,  is 
one  of  the  problems  of  the  American  degree.  Why  not 
have  used  the  term  prophet  ? 

A  Rabbinical  tradition  says,  "  That  the  tribes  which 
had  been  carried  into  captivity  to  Babylon  founded  the 
celebrated  fraternity  of  Neharda,  on  the  Euphrates,  for 
the  preservation  of  traditional  knowledge  and  its  trans- 
mission to  a  selected  few,  while  it  was  kept  secret  from 
the  rest  of  the  world.  And  that  Zerubbabel  the  prince, 
Jeshua  the  priest,  and  Esdras  the  scribe,  carried  away  all 
the  secret  knowledge,  which  was  so  carefully  preserved 
within  the  closed  recesses  of  this  mysterious  institu- 
tion, with  them  to  Jerusalem  ;  arid  that  they  established 
in  the  latter  city  a  similar  fraternity  for  the  same  pur- 
posed7 

u' 


336  TRADITIONS  OF  FREEMASONRY. 

The  fourth  officer  in  a  chapter  of  Royal  Arch  Masons 
is  styled  Captain  of  the  Host ;  he  represents  the  general 
leader  of  the  Jewish  troops,  whose  duties  were  those  of 
a  General  in  modern  times. 

The  number  of  Jews  who  refused  to  avail  themselves 
of  the  proclamation  of  Cyrus,  exceeded  those  who  in 
obedience  to  the  voice  of  their  prophets,  returned  to 
Judea.  It  is  a  common  saying  among  the  Jews  to  this 
day,  that  none  but  the  dregs  of  the  people  returned  on 
this  occasion  ;  while  the  greater  part  of  the  priesthood, 
nobility  and  gentry,  among  whom  they  include  Daniel, 
Ezekiel  and  other  prophets,  remained  behind.  Hebrew 
tradition  says  that  Daniel  was  made  Governor  of  Persia 
and  resided  in  Shushan  until  his  death,  and  that  he  was 
buried  in  a  magnificent  tomb  which  he  had  built  in  the 
form  of  a  tower.  Another  tradition  says  that  the  coun- 
trymen of  Ezekiel  were  so  incensed  by  his  reproaches  as 
to  put  him  to  death,  and  his  remains  were  deposited  in 
the  same  sepulchre  with  those  of  Shem,  the  son  of  Noah, 
which  was  supposed  to  be  situated  between  the  River 
Euphrates  and  that  of  Chaboras. 

Under  the  influence  of  the  exhortations  of  the  prophets, 
parties  were  afterward  induced  to  follow  the  main  party. 
The  fifth  officer  of  a  chapter  represents  the  leader  of  such 
a  party,  and  is  styled  Principal  Sojourner. 

The  sixth,  or  Royal  Arch  Captain,  represents  the  Cap- 
tain of  the  Guards,  and  receives  his  instructions  from 
and  reports  to  the  Captain  of  the  Host. 

There  were  three  other  officers,  according  to  the  rituals, 
selected  from  the  most  trustworthy  among  the  people, 
who  were  stationed  at  the  parting  of  the  veils,  as  Guards 
in  the  tabernacle,  to  prevent  all  but  proper  persons  from 
interrupting  the  deliberations  of  the  Grand  Council,  and 


COINCIDENCES  WITH  THE  MYSTERIES.  337 

who  were  invested  with  certain  tests  to  examine  the 
qualifications  of  all  who  claimed  admission. 

The  American  Koyal  Arch  degree  is  divided  into  two 
parts  or  sections  ;  the  first  relating  to  events  anterior  to 
and  including  the  carrying  of  the  Children  of  Israel  into 
captivity,  and  the  second  the  return  to  Jerusalem  and 
the  commencement  of  the  rebuilding  of  the  temple. 

PART  1. — The  great  leading  object  of  pursuit  in  all 
masonic  degrees  is  truth;  and  humility  is  an  essential 
virtue  to  all  who  are  engaged  in  the  search  after  it. 
That  a  knowledge  of  truth  is  only  attained  after  long, 
humble  and  laborious  search,  and  he  that  humbleth  him- 
self shall  be  exalted,  are  beautifully  and  emblematically 
represented  in  the  early  ceremonies  of  this  august  degree. 
That  it  is  useless  for  one  man  to  attempt  stubbornly  to 
resist  the  multitude  when  combined,  but  yielding  for  a 
time,  truth  and  right  will  ultimately  prevail,  is  also  forci- 
bly illustrated. 

From  the  impenetrable  nature  of  the  strongest  of  all 
architectural  forms,  we  learn  the  necessity  of  guarding 
our  mysteries  from  profanation  by  the  most  inviolable 
secrecy.  The  catenarian  chain,  or  arch,  also  typifies  that 
adherence  to  order  and  that  spirit  of  fraternal  union 
which  has  given  energy  and  permanency  to  our  institu- 
tion ;  thus  enabling  it  to  survive  the  wreck  of  mighty 
empires,  and  resist  the  destroying  hand  of  time.  And  as 
the  subordinate  members  of  a  catenarian  arch  strongly 
gravitate  toward  the  centre,  or  key-stone,  which  compre- 
hends and  cements  the  whole  structure  ;  so  are  we  taught 
to  look  up  with  reverence,  and  submit  with  cheerfulness, 
to  every  constituted  authority,  whether  masonic  or  civil. 

That  man  is  a  dependent  creature,  not  only  upon  his 
Maker,  but  upon  his  fellow-men ;  and  that  at  all  times, 
15 


338  TRADITIONS    OF    FKEEMASONRT. 

and  upon  all  occasions,  he  should  look  to  his  Creator  for 
aid,  placing  implicit  confidence  in  His  protecting  care, 
are  impressively  taught. 

Society  is  founded  on  the  principle  of  mutual  depend- 
ence and  mutual  aid.  Each  State,  community,  family  and 
individual  is  possessed  of  secrets  whose  disclosure  would 
be  personally  injurious,  without  conveying  a  correspond- 
ing benefit  to  the  public  ;  and  though  private  feelings  or 
interests  ought  to  yield,  if  placed  in  competition  with  the 
general  good,  yet,  in  all  cases  where  the  advantage  is 
equivocal,  it  is  the  wisest  and  best  policy  to  withhold  the 
information.  On  this  principle  Freemasonry  dissemi- 
nates its  benefits  in  the  tyled  recesses  of  the  lodge.  The 
Grand  Architect  of  the  Universe  locks  up  gold  in  the 
earth  and  pearls  in  the  ocean,  not  to  conceal  them  from 
human  use,  but  to  reward  human  industry  for  its  search 
after  them.  It  seems  to  be  His  fixed  decree,  that  the 
improvement  of  the  material  world  should  depend  on  the 
combined  efibrts  of  human  genius  and  labor  ;  and  that 
philosophy  should  be  invoked  for  the  melioration  of  the 
blessings  of  nature. 

Why  do  men  lock  up  precious  things  but  to  keep  them 
from  unhallowed  hands  ?  That  secrecy  is  an  important 
virtue,  recommended  in  all  ages  of  the  world,  and  by  the 
wisest  and  best  of  men,  cannot  be  contradicted  ;  nor  can 
it  be  denied  but  that  in  all  ages  there  have  been  societies 
who  have  had  secrets  which  they  have  not  indiscrimi- 
nately revealed,  but  have  disclosed  to  those  only  whom 
they  thought  worthy  to  be  associated  with  them.  The 
secrets  of  Freemasonry  are  open  to  the  ingenuous  and 
candid  inquirer,  if  he  seek  tfetem  by  the  legitimate  process ; 
while  they  are  carefully  concealed  from  those  who  might 
use  them  improperly,  or  convert  them  to  purposes  which 


COINCIDENCES  WITH  THE  MYSTERIES.  339 

would  prove  injurious  to  the  society.  The  good  and 
worthy  candidate  is  received  with  open  arms  ;  but  to  the 
vicious  and  dissolute  the  tyler  is  instructed  to  oppose  the 
point  of  his  naked  sword. 

The  ancient  mysteries  were  entirely  founded  on  silence 
and  secrecy ;  and  no  candidate  could  be  admitted  to  par- 
ticipate in  the  privileges  which  it  was  supposed  to  con- 
vey, without  first  having  given  an  unequivocal  proof  of 
his  taciturnity  by  a  long  and  severe  probation.  Tradi- 
tion relates  a  terrible  instance  of^tho  consequences  which 
attended  a  violation  of  this  principle,  which  has  been 
handed  down  to  us  in  the  story  of  Hipparchus,  a  Pythago- 
rean, who,  "  having  out  of  spleen  and  resentment  violated 
and  broke  through  the  several  engagements  of  the  society, 
was  held  in  the  utmost  detestation,  expelled  from  the  school 
as  a  most  infamous  and  abandoned  person  ;  and  as  he  was 
esteemed  dead  to  the  principles  of  virtue  and  philosophy, 
they  had  a  tomb  erected  for  him,  according  to  their  cus- 
tom, as  though  he  had  been  naturally  dead.  The  shame 
and  disgrace  that  justly  attended  so  great  a  breach  of 
truth  and  fidelity,  drove  the  unhappy  wretch  to  such 
despair  that  he  proved  his  own  executioner  ;  and  so  ab- 
horred was  even  his  memory,  that  he  was  denied  the  rites 
and  ceremonies  of  burial  used  to  the  dead  in  those  times  ; 
instead  of  which  his  ~body  was  suffered  to  lie  upon  the 
sands  of  the  seashore  in  the  isle  of  Samos,  to  be  devoured 
by  rapacious  animals." 

The  necessity  of  and  reasons  for  secrecy,  the  duties 
Masons  owe  to  God,  to  each  other,  to  their  country,  and 
to  society,  are  recited  in  this  degree  in  unmistakable 
language,  and  in  a  solemn  form.  None  that  deserves  the 
name,  can  ever  forget  the  ties  of  a  Royal  Arch  Mason. 
And  if  the  lesson  is  heeded,  the  initiate  must  become  a 


340  TRADITIONS   OF  FREEMASONRY. 

better  citizen,  a  truer  friend,  a  purer  patriot,  a  good 
man. 

The  posterity  of  Jacob  had  increased  in  a  wonderful 
degree  in  the  two  hundred  and  fifty  years  that  they  had 
remained  in  Egypt.  God  determined  to  remove  them  to 
the  land  promised  to  Abraham,  Isaac  and  Jacob.  Moses 
was  selected  by  God  as  the  instrument  of  his  purposes  in 
the  liberation  of  the  Hebrews,  and  his  installation  or 
consecration  is  thus  recorded  in  the  "  Great  Light  of 
Masonry :" 

"  Now  Moses  kept  the  flock  of  Jethro  his  father-in-law, 
the  priest  of  Midian ;  and  he  led  the  flock  to  the  back- 
side of  the  desert,  and  came  to  the  mountain  of  God,  even 
to  Horeb. 

"  And  the  A.ngel  of  the  Lord  appeared  unto  him  in  a 
flame  of  fire  out  of  the  midst  of  a  bush  ;  and  he  looked, 
and,  behold,  the  bush  burned  with  fire,  and  the  bush  was 
not  consumed 

"  And  when  the  Lord  saw  that  he  turned  aside  to  see, 
God  called  unto  him  out  of  the  midst  of  the  bush,  and 
said,  Moses,  Moses.  And  he  said,  Here  am  I. 

"  And  he  said,  Draw  not  nigh  hither  ;  put  off  thy  shoes 
from  off  thy  feet :  for  the  place  whereon  thou  standest  is 
holy  ground. 

"  And  Moses  hid  his  face  ;  for  he  was  afraid 

to  look  upon  God. 

"  And  the  Lord  said,  I  have  surely  seen  the  affliction 

of  my  people  which  are  in  Egypt, and  I  am 

come  down  to  deliver  them  out  of  the  land  of  the  Egyp- 
tians, and  to  bring  them  up  out  of  that  land  unto  a  good 
land  and  a  large,  unto  a  land  flowing  with  milk  and 
honey 

"  Come  now,  therefore,  and  I  will  send  thee  unto  Pha- 


COINCIDENCES  WITH  THE  MYSTERIES.  341 

raoh,  that  thou  mayest  bring  forth  my  people  the  Chil- 
dren of  Israel  out  of  Egypt 

"  And  Moses  said  unto  God,  Behold,  when  I  come  unto 
the  Children  of  Israel,  and  shall  say  unto  them,  The  God 
of  your  fathers  hath  sent  me  unto  you  ;  and  they  shall  say 
to  me,  What  is  his  name?  what  shall  I  say  unto  them? 

"  And  God  said  unto  Moses,  I  AM  THAT  I  AM : 
and  he  said,  Thus  shalt  thou  say  unto  the  Children  of 
Israel,  I  AM  hath  sent  me  unto  you 

"  And  Moses  answered  and  said,  But,  behold,  they  will 
not  believe  me,  nor  hearken  unto  my  voice  :  for  they 
will  say,  The  Lord  hath  not  appeared  unto  thee. 

"  And  the  Lord  said  unto  him,  What  is  that  in  thine 
hand  ?  And  he  said,  A  rod. 

"  And  he  said,  Cast  it  on  the  ground.  And  he  cast  it 
on  the  ground,  and  it  became  a  serpent ;  and  Moses  fled 
from  before  it. 

"  And  the  Lord  said  unto  Moses,  Put  forth  thine  hand, 
and  take  it  by  the  tail.  And  he  put  forth  his  hand  and 
caught  it,  and  it  became  a  rod  in  his  hand 

"  And  the  Lord  said  furthermore  unto  him,  Put  now 
thine  hand  into  thy  bosom.  And  he  put  his  hand  into  his 
bosom ;  and  when  he  took  it  out,  behold,  his  hand  was 
leprous  as  snow. 

"  And  he  said,  Put  thine  hand  into  thy  bosom  again. 
And  he  put  his  hand  into  his  bosom  again ;  and  he  plucked 
it  out  of  his  bosom,  and,  behold,  it  was  turned  again  as 
his  other  flesh 

"  And  it  shall  come  to  pass,  if  they  will  not  believe 
these  two  signs,  neither  hearken  unto  thy  voice,  that  thou 
shalt  take  of  the  water  of  the  river,  and  pour  it  upon  the 
dry  land  ;  and  the  water,  which  thou  takest  out  of  the 
river,  shall  become  blood  upon  the  dry  land." 


342  TRADITIONS   OF    FREEMASONRY. 

Je*hro,  the  priest,  or  prince  of  Midian,  and  father-in- 
law  of  Moses,  is  said  to  have  been  educated  at  the  College 
of  Memphis.  It  is  believed  that  he  was  a  priest  of  the 
true  God,  being  descended  from  Midian,  the  son  of  Abra- 
ham and  Keturah,  and  that  he  was  sent  to  Midian  to 
reclaim  the  inhabitants  from  their  false  worship.  Moses 
does  not  disguise  his  alliance  with  Jethro's  family,  when 
he  visited  the  camp  of  the  Children  of  Israel  after  the 
passage  of  the  Red  Sea,  but  invites  him  to  offer  sacri- 
fices to  the  Lord  as  one  who  adored  the  same  God. 
(Ex.  xviii.  11,  12.)  Tradition  says  that  he  was  the  cus- 
todian of  the  rod,  by  the  agency  of  which  Moses  wrought 
his  miracles. 

A  Rabbinical  tradition  says,  "  That  on  the  arrival  of 
Moses  in  Midian,  Jethro  clapped  him  into  prison,  with 
the  intention  of  sending  him  back  to  Pharaoh  ;  but  that 
Zipporah,  falling  in  love  with  Moses,  procured  his  liberty. 
Jethro  then  consented  that  Moses  should  have  Zipporah 
in  marriage,  if  he  could  pull  up  a  twig  of  saphir  that  was 
planted  in  his  garden.  Moses  did  it  instantly  and  ob- 
tained Zipporah  for  his  wife.  This  twig  of  saphir  was 
inscribed  with  the  sacred  name  Jehovah.  Moses  after- 
ward used  it  as  a  wand." 

In  the  earlier  ages  of  the  world  mountains  were  consid- 
ered sacred,  and  regarded  as  the  residence  of  the  gods. 
"We  find  traditions  connected  with  mountains  every- 
where. Mount  Horeb,  one  of  the  peaks  of  Mount  Sinai, 
is  especially  remarkable,  not  only  from  the  numerous  tra- 
ditions connected  with  it,  but  from  the  peculiar  manner 
in  which  it  is  spoken  of  in  Holy  Writ — "  Mountain  of 
God" — and  the  peculiar  manifestations  of  God's  power  on 
its  summit  and  surroundings.  Mounts  Sinai  and  Horeb  are 
alluded  to  in  the  Scriptures  as  one  and  the  same  by  dif- 


COINCIDENCES  WITH  THE  MYSTERIES.  343 

ferent  writers.  Mount  Sinai  is  the  highest  and  lies  to  the 
east ;  Horeb  to  the  west ;  so  that  when  the  sun  rises, 
the  latter  is  covered  with  the  shadow  of  Sinai.  a  There 
are,"  says  a  traveler  of  olden  time,  "  springs  and  fruit 
trees  on  Horeb,  but  only  rain  water  on  Sinai." 

Mount  Horeb  was  remarkable  for  seven  memorable 
events,  viz. : 
..  First.  The  burning  bush. 

Second.  The  striking  of  the  rock  with  the  rod  of  Moses. 

Third.  The  lifting  up  of  the  hands  of  Moses  by  Aaron 
and  Hur,  which  produced  the  slaughter  of  the  Amalekites. 

Fourth.  The  delivery  of  the  law. 

Fifth.  The  forty  days  of  abstinence  by  Moses. 

Sixth.  The  demolition  of  the  two  tables  of  stone  on 
sight  of  the  golden  calf ;  and 

Seventh.  The  supernal  vision  of  Elijah. 

The  Hebrew  people  believe  that  God  has  descended  to 
the  earth  nine  times,  and  that  he  shall  descend  the  tenth 
in  the  person  of  the  Messiah,  viz. : 

First.  In  the  Garden  of  Eden. 

Second.  At  the  confusion  of  tongues. 

Third.  At  the  destruction  of  Sodom. 

Fourth.  To  Moses  on  Mount  Horeb. 

Fifth.  At  his  appearance  on  Mount  Sinai. 

Sixth  and  seventh.  When  he  spoke  to  Moses  in  the 
hollow  of  the  rock  ;  and 

Eighth  and  ninth.  In  the  tabernacle. 

In  all  ancient  religions  fire  was  the  symbol  of  Divine 
love.  This  we  learn  from  the  history  of  sacrifices  ;  for 
victims  consumed  by  fire  formed  the  basis  of  all  religion. 
Fire  from  heaven  fell  frequently  on  the  victims  sacrificed 
to  the  Lord,  as  a  mark  of  His  presence  and  approbation. 
It  is  supposed  thai  God  in  this  manner  expressed  His 


344  TRADITIONS   OF  FREEMASONRY. 

acceptance  of  Abel's  sacrifices.  (Gen.  iv.  4.)  When  the 
Lord  made  a  covenant  with  Abraham,  a  fire,  like  that  of 
a  furnace,  passed  through  the  divided  pieces  of  the  sac- 
rifices and  consumed  them.  (Gen.  xv.  17.)  Fire  fell  upon 
the  sacrifices  which  Moses  offered  at  the  dedication  of 
the  tabernacle.  (Lev.  ix.  24.)  And  upon  those  of  Ma- 
noah,  Samson's  father.  (Judges  xiii.  19,  20.)  Upon 
Solomon's,  at  the  dedication  of  the  temple.  (2  Chron.  vii. 
1.)  Upon  Elijah's,  at  Mount  Carmel.  (1  Kings  xviii.  38.) 
On  Nehemiah's,  at  the  return  from  the  captivity.  (2  Mace, 
i.  19  ;  ii.  10.) 

This  symbol  of  love  divine  revealing  itself  to  man  is 
found  in  India.  "  Yischnou,"  says  the  Bagavadam,  "  ap- 
peared at  first  in  the  human  form,  with  a  body  clothed 
with  purple  and  brighter  than  the  sun,  similar  to  the  fire 
which  is  found  in  stones,  in  the  water,  and  in  air.  Yisch- 
nou is  everywhere.  This  divinity  is  the  Demiurgus,  who 
created  the  world  in  his  love."  According  to  an  oracle 
cited  by  St.  Justin  and  Eusebius,  the  Chaldeans  had  the 
same  doctrines  as  the  Hebrews  respecting  the  manifesta- 
tions of  God  under  the  symbol  of  fire. 

At  the  expiration  of  the  period  assigned  by  prophecy 
for  the  detention  of  the  Children  of  Israel  in  Egypt,  the 
Lord  appeared  to  Moses  by  fire,  in  the  midst  of  a  bush  of 
seneh  or  senaah  on  Mount  Horeb.  According  to  the  opin- 
ion of  Plato  there  are  three  kinds  of  fire  :  1.  A  thick  fire, 
as  in  the  burning  of  wood.  2.  A  bright  and  subtle  fire.  3. 
A  pure,  clear  fire,  which  lights  but  does  not  burn,  as  in 
the  stars.  Some  add  a  fourth,  an  elemental  fire,  which 
neither  gives  light  nor  burns.  The  fire  of  the  bush  was 
of  the  second  kind,  not  an  imaginary  or  apparent  fire, 
but  a  true  one  ;  otherwise  Moses  would  not  have  won- 
dered that  the  bush  was  not  consumed.  Philo  says  that 


COINCIDENCES  WITH  THE  MYSTERIES.  345 

the  bush  was  a  symbol  of  the  persecuted  Israelites,  and 
the  fire,  of  their  affliction  and  misery.  For  as  the  fire 
burned  for  a  time  without  destroying  the  bush,  and  after- 
ward was  extinguished  by  the  Divine  Power,  so  were  the 
Israelites  preserved  amidst  all  their  troubles  and  difficul- 
ties in  Egypt,  and  delivered  by  the  same  power  from 
their  enemies,  whose  cruelties  were  punished,  as  the 
thorns  of  this  bush  would  pierce  into  a  man's  hand,  if  it 
were  forcibly  inserted  there. 

Moses  had  retired  with  his  flock  to  a  solitary  place  at 
the  back-side  of  the  desert  at  the  foot  of  Mount  Horeb 
that  he  might  indulge  his  contemplative  disposition  with- 
out interruption,  when,  lifting  his  eyes,  he  beheld  a  bush 
enveloped  in  flame.  Astonished  at  this  sight,  he  said 
within  himself,  "  I  must  go  and  examine  how  it  is  that 
this  bush  is  not  consumed."  When  approaching  to  inves- 
tigate the  cause  of  such  an  extraordinary  occurrence,  the 
Lord  spake  to  him  out  of  the  bush,  saying ;  "  Moses, 
approach  no  nearer  ;  but  put  off  your  shoes,  for  the  place 
whereon  you  stand  is  holy  ground." 

The  word  i^  not,  rendered  shoe,  usually  means  sandal, 
that  is,  a  mere  sole  held  on  the  foot  in  a  very  simple 
manner. 

Moses  did  not  give  the  first  beginning  to  this  rite  of 
putting  off  the  shoes  ;  it  was  derived  from  the  patriarchs 
before  him,  and  transmitted  to  future  times  from  that 
ancient  general  tradition ;  for  we  find  no  command  in 
the  law  of  Moses  for  the  priests  performing  the  service  of 
the  tabernacle  without  shoes,  but  it  is  certain  they  did  so 
from  immemorial  custom.  The  command  thus  given  to 
Moses  did  not  represent  the  civil  and  legal  ceremony  of 
putting  off  the  shoes,  as  the  Israelites  were  subsequently 
directed  to  do,  when  they  renounced  any  bargain  or 
15* 


346  TRADITIONS   OF   FREEMASONRY. 

contract  (Deut.  xxv.  9  ;  Ruth  iv.  8) ;  nor  yet  the  sign 
of  grief  and  sorrow,  as  when  David  entered  into  Jerusa- 
lem barefooted  (2  Sam.  xv.  30)  ;  nor  of  mourning  for 
thte  dead,  as  God  said  to  Ezekiel,  "  Make  no  mourning 
for  the  dead,  and  put  on  thy  shoes  upon  thy  feet."  (Ezek. 
xxiv.  17.)  But  it  was  enjoined  that  Moses  might  ap- 
proach that  sacred  place  with  reverence  and  godly  fear, 
as  if  it  had  been  a  temple  consecrated  to  divine  worship. 
Thus  the  Preacher  says  (Eccles.  v.  1),  "  Take  heed  unto 
thy  feet  when  thou  enterest  the  temple  of  God."  Because 
the  place  was  holy  ground,  Moses  was  bid  to  put  off  his 
shoes,  and  as  a  reminder  that,  because  the  shoes  are 
made  of  the  skins  of  dead  beasts,  he  should  put  off  all 
fear  of  death,  for  fear  whereof  he  fled  at  the  first  from 
Pharaoh. 

The  priests  and  Levites  to  whom  the  care  of  the  Ark 
of  the  Covenant  was  especially  confided,  were  commanded 
in  their  journeyings  from  Egypt  to  the  Promised  Land 
to  travel  with  bare  feet.  This  custom,  which  proceeded 
from  the  especial  command  of  God,  was  soon  converted 
by  other  nations  to  the  most  absurd  and  senseless  super- 
stition. The  Romans  used  to  clear  their  gardens  from 
the  caterpillars  and  other  insects  which  destroy  the 
fruits  of  the  earth  by  the  magical  aid  of  women,  who 
walked  barefoot  round  the  trees.  Sorceresses,  likewise, 
in  all  their  incantations  cast  off  their  shoes,  as  is  evident 
from  several  passages  in  Ovid,  Horace  and  Virgil.  Even 
the  ancient  Christians  observed  it  in  their  solemn  pro- 
cessions, of  which  we  have  many  instances  in  ecclesiasti- 
cal history.  The  Emperor  Theodosius  the  Younger,  and 
the  Patriarch  Proclus,  humbled  themselves  in  this  man- 
ner when  they  assisted  in  the  processions  made  at  that 
time  on  account  of  several  earthquake?  Heraclius  went 


COINCIDENCES  WITH  THE  MYSTERIES.  347 

further,  for  he  resolved  to  carry  the  cross  upon  his  back, 
and  bear  the  weight  of  that  sacred  burden  during  a  long 
procession,  though  he  was  almost  overwhelmed  with  the 
weight  of  his  imperial  robes.  But  preferring  the  humble 
weight  of  the  cross  to  all  the  pomp  and  grandeur  of  a 
throne,  he  cast  off  not  only  his  royal  vestments,  but  his 
shoes  also,  to  accomplish  with  more  alacrity  his  journey 
to  Mount  Calvary. 

In  the  Druidical  rites,  the  chief  Druid  when  gathering 
the  sacred  selago  (missletoe)  was  to  be  clothed  in  white, 
with  bare  feet,  as  an  emblem  of  internal  purity.  The 
Indians  of  Peru  observe  the  custom  of  being  barefooted, 
as  being  the  most  incontestible  proof  they  could  possibly 
give  of  their  unfeigned  humiliation.  They  never  entered 
the  famous  and  magnificent  Temple  of  the  Sun  till  they 
had  first  put  off  their  shoes  in  the  porch  of  the  temple. 
Herodotus  and  Diodorus  Siculus  assure  us,  that  when 
the  Egyptian  priests  adored  any  of  their  deities  their 
feet  were  uncovered  ;  such,  too,  according  to  Strabo,  was 
the  practice  with  the  sacerdotal  order  among  the  Ger- 
mans. In  the  initiation  ceremonies  of  the  Hindu  mys- 
teries the  candidate  was  divested  of  his  shoes,  that  the 
consecrated  ground  upon  which  he  stood  might  not  be 
polluted.  The  Cretans,  who  were  otherwise  very  lax  in 
the  discipline  of  their  religious  mysteries,  made  it  penal 
for  any  person  to  enter  the  Temple  of  Diana  with  his  feet 
uncovered,  and  even  the  Roman  ladies  of  the  highest 
rank  were  not  excused  from  this  act  when  they  entered 
the  Temple  of  Vesta.  Pythagoras  enjoined  on  his  dis- 
ciples the  necessity  of  a  strict  adherence  to  this  practice  ; 
his  direction  was,  "  Offer  sacrifice  and  worship  with  thy 
shoes  off."  The  Mahommedans  accompany  a  corpse  bare- 
footed, and  always  leave  their  slippers  at  the  door  of 


348  TRADITIONS  OF  FREEMASONRY. 

the  mosque  when  entering  it  for  any  purpose.  So  uni- 
versal was  the  custom  of  the  ancient  nations  of  worship- 
ing the  Deity  barefooted,  that  Adam  Clarke  assigns  it 
as  one  of  his  thirteen  proofs  that  the  whole  human  race 
was  derived  from  one  family. 

The  Jews,  in  common  with  other  ancient  nations, 
believed  that  particular  angels  were  commissioned  to 
attend  individuals,  and  had  the  care  of  their  conduct 
and  protection.  The  Cabalists  represent  some  particular 
angels,  whose  names  they  give  us,  as  preceptors  to  the 
Patriarchs :  to  Adam,  Raziel ;  to  Abraham,  Zedekiel ; 
to  Moses,  Metratron,  or  Metator  (i.  e.  he  who  shows  the 
field) ;  to  Elias,  Malushiel,  and  to  David,  Gerviel.  Be- 
fore the  captivity  of  Babylon  we  find  no  angel  mentioned 
by  name  ;  the  Talmudists  say  they  brought  their  names 
from  Babylon. 

The  persuasion  was  very  prevalent  in  the  world,  that 
no  one  could  support  the  sight  of  the  Deity  and  live ; 
illustrations  of  this  are  recorded  in  Genesis  xxxii.  30 ; 
Exodus  xx.  19  ;  Judges  vi.  22,  23  ;  and  Exodus  iii.  6. 
"  And  Moses  hid  his  face ;  for  he  was  afraid  to  look 
upon  God." 


CHAPTER    XVI. 

ROYAL     ARCH — CONTINUED. 

EMPLOYMENT  of  the  Children  of  Israel  in  Egypt  —  Their  Cruel  Treatment  — 
Egyptians  feared  them  —  Endeavored  to  Decrease  their  Numbers  —  Con- 
firmation of  the  Scriptural  Account  of  Moses  by  the  Ancient  Historians 
Strabo,  Manetho,  Diodorus  of  Sicily,  etc.  — God  refuses  to  make  known 
his  Name  to  Moses  on  Mount  Horeb  —  SIGNS  OF  MOSES  —  Rod  —  Extracts 
from  the  Old  Lectures  —  Mahommedan  Traditions  relative  to  the  Magi- 
cians—  Serpent  an  Ancient  Symbol  —  Not  satisfactorily  Explained  in 
Masonic  Lectures  —  Speculations  why  it  was  Adopted  as  an  Emblem  — 
Every  Nation  had  a  Tradition  of  the  Fall  —  Examples  of  the  Use  of  the 
Serpent  Symbol  —  Of  Wisdom,  Eternity,  the  Universe,  Power;  of  the 
Contest  between  the  Good  and  Evil  Principles  —  Tradition  from  the 
Grecian  Mythology— Supposed  originally  to  have  been  Possessed  of 
the  Power  of  Speech  —  Leprous  Hand  —  Pouring  Water  upon  the 
Ground  —  Hebrew,  Samaritan  and  Septuagint  Date  of  the  Exodus  — 
Pilgrimages  for  Worship  an  Ancient  Custom  anterior  to  the  Time  of 
Moses  —  Marshalled  in  Four  Divisions,  and  Divisions  sub-divided  into 
Tribes  and  Families  —  Each  sub-division  had  an  Ensign  or  Banner  — 
Form  of  the  Camp  —  Four  Principal  Banners  —  Lion,  Man,  Ox,  Eagle — 
Vatabulus'  Explication  of  the  Four  Banners  —  Colors  of  the  Banners  of 
Judah,  Issachar  and  Zebulun  —  Children  of  Israel  often  Attacked  by 
Neighboring  Nations  —  Nebuchadnezzar  —  Took  Daniel  Prisoner  — 
Second  Attack  upon  Jerusalem  —  Zedekiah  Revolts  —  Nebuchadnezzar's 
Third  Attack  —  Relieved  by  the  Egyptians  —  Fourth  Attack  —  Captures 
the  City  and  carries  the  King  into  Captivity  —  Nebuzaradan  destroys 
the  City,  breaks  down  the  Walls,  burns  the  Temple,  binds  the  Better 
Class  of  People  in  Triangular  Chains  and  carries  them  Captive  to 
Babylon. 

DURING  the  life  of  Joseph,  who  occupied  a  very  promi- 
nent position  in  the  government  of  Egypt,  the  Children 
of  Israel  were  protected  in  the  enjoyment  of  liberty  and 
the  practice  of  the  rites  of  their  religion,  but  after  his 
death  "  a  new  king  arose  who  knew  not  Joseph,'7  From 

(849) 


350  TRADITIONS   OF   FREEMASONRY. 

this  period  their  persecutions  commenced  ;  reduced  to  a 
state  of  slavery,  the  severest  tasks  were  imposed  upon 
them.  They  were  engaged  not  only  in  making  brick, 
but  in  digging  canals  and  wells,  and  building  cities. 
They  were  kept  at  work  night  and  day,  so  that  many  of 
them  are  said  to  have  died  beneath  their  burdens.  They 
were  stimulated  to  exertion  by  the  lash  of  their  imperious 
taskmasters ;  and  when  dead  they  were  not  allowed  the 
rites  of  burial,  but  their  corpses  were  treated  with  every 
indignity.  They  built  the  cities  of  Pithon  and  Ramesis, 
and  dug  a  vast  canal  which  joined  their  sacred  river 
with  the  Red  Sea.  Some  authors  assert  that  the  pyra- 
mids were  built  by  them.  Notwithstanding  the  cruel 
hardships  which  they  had  to  endure,  they  rapidly  in- 
creased in  numbers  ;  so  much  so  that  the  Egyptians  began 
to  fear  them,  and  the  Egyptians  resorted  to  a  variety  of 
means  to  reduce  their  numbers.  At  length,  as  a  final 
measure  of  extermination,  an  order  of  State  was  pro- 
mulgated for  the  destruction  of  all  the  male  children. 
But  even  this  scheme  only  produced  a  temporary  effect, 
and  the  increase  of  population  among  the  Hebrews  re- 
mained unrestrained.  And  it  is  supposed  that  including 
women  and  children,  Moses  conducted  near  three  million 
persons  out  of  the  land  of  Egypt.  Strabo  mentions 
Moses  as  an  Egyptian  priest  who  endeavored  to  abolish 
animal  sacrifices.  Justin  regards  him  as  being  endowed 
by  nature  with  the  most  extraordinary  talents,  and  like 
his  ancestor  Joseph,  being  able  to  interpret  dreams  and 
to  work  miracles.  Manetho  mentions  him  under  the 
name  of  Osarsiph,  a  priest  of  Heliopolis,  who  gave  the 
Jews  a  new  religion,  and  delivered  them  from  slavery. 
Diodorus  of  Sicily  speaks  of  a  lawgiver  of  the  Hebrews 
as  a  man  of  great  wisdom  and  tried  courage,  who  con- 


COINCIDENCES  WITH  THE  MYSTERIES.  351 

ducted  them  from  Egypt  to  the  neighboring  wilderness, 
where  he  gave  them  laws,  appointed  priests  and  other 
officers,  himself  retaining  the  highest  power.  Clemens 
of  Alexandria  affirms  that  Moses  studied  in  the  colleges 
of  the  priests  in  Egypt,  and  there  learned  arithmetic, 
geometry,  poetry,  harmony,  medicine  and  music ;  that 
he  devoted  his  time  to  a  knowledge  of  symbols  and  hiero- 
glyphics ;  which  Justin  Martyr  calls  the  emblematical 
part  of  the  Egyptian  Scriptures.  St.  Cyril  says,  "  Moses 
was  well  known  to  the  Greek  historians,  for  Polemon,  in 
his  first  book  of  Grecian  history,  maketh  mention  of 
him.  So  do  Ptolemseus  Mendesius  Hellanicus,  Pholo- 
chorus,  and  Castor,  and  many  others.  Diodorus,  who 
inquired  very  curiously  into  the  affairs  of  Egypt,  says  he 
heard  of  him  from  their  wise  men,  and  of  him  he  thus  writ- 
eth  :  '  After  the  ancient  way  of  living  in  Egypt,  the  people 
were  brought  to  live  under  written  laws,  by  a  man  of 
very  great  mind,  one  Moses,  who  ivas  called  a  god}  " 
We  have,  in  the  foregoing,  abundant  confirmation  of  the 
account  given  of  Moses  in  the  Scriptures. 

On  Mount  Horeb,  when  Moses  had  asked  God  for  his 
name  to  enable  him  to  convince  the  Children  of  Israel  of 
his  divine  appointment  as  their  deliverer,  the  reply  was, 
I  AM  THAT  I  AM  ;  this,  taken  in  connection  with  a  subse- 
quent declaration  of  God  to  Moses,  would  seem  to  imply 
a  refusal  of  his  request,  as  if  saying,  What  matters  my 
name  to  you  or  them  ?  I  AM  THAT  I  AM,  or  I  am  that 
which  I  am,  or  may  be — that  is  sufficient ;  but  at  the  same 
time  God  invested  Moses  with  certain  miraculous  powers, 
an  exhibition  of  which  was  to  be  to  the  Hebrew  nation 
the  signs  or  evidences  of  his  divine  appointment  to  con- 
duct them  out  of  the  land  of  Egypt. 

The  first  sign  was  effected  through  the  medium  of  the 


352  TRADITIONS  OP  FREEMASONRY. 

rod,  which  tradition  says  was  a  branch  of  the  tree  of 
Paradise,  and  miraculously  preserved.  This  sign  he  also 
showed  to  Pharaoh — he  cast  his  rod  upon  the  ground  and 
it  became  a  serpent.  An  old  lecture  had  the  following  : 
"  As  our  first  parents  were  beguiled  by  the  devil  in  the 
form  of  a  serpent  to  eat  the  fruit  of  the  forbidden  tree, 
so  a  branch  of  that  tree  in  the  hands  of  Moses,  was 
changed  into  a  serpent,  to  confirm  the  promise  of  deliv- 
ering a  select  portion  of  their  posterity  from  Egyptian 
bondage."  And  again :  "  With  this  rod  Moses  smote 
the  rocks  in  the  wilderness,  and  the  waters  gushed  out 
abundantly  to  supply  the  wants  of  his  thirsty  people. 
With  it  lie  also  was  an  instrument  in  the  hands  of  God 
to  divide  the  waters  of  the  Red  Sea,  that  the  Israelites 
might  pass  over  in  safety  ;  and  by  the  same  instrument 
he  performed  his  wonders  in  Egypt.  Hence,  in  com- 
memoration of  these  remarkable  occurrences,  we  use  rods 
or  staves  in  our  chapters  as  emblems  of  royalty." 

A  Mahommedan  tradition  asserts  that  Pharaoh  assem- 
bled the  magicians  to  contend  with  Moses ;  that  among 
them  were  the  chief  magician,  whom  they  called  Simeon, 
and  Jannes,  Jambres,  Sadur,  Ghadur,  Jaath,  Mosfa,Waran, 
and  Zainan,  each  of  whom  was  attended  by  numerous 
disciples.  They  provided  ropes  of  the  proper  substance, 
and  having  cut  them  into  lengths,  they  threw  them  down, 
and  by  making  them  move  and  twist  themselves  about, 
they  so  deceived  the  eyes  of  the  beholders  that,  at  a  dis- 
tance, they  fancied  them  to  be  serpents. 

Another  tradition  says,  "  That  none  of  the  magicians 
were  convinced  by  the  miracles  of  Moses  except  Sadur 
and  Ghadur.  These  two  brothers  were  sons  of  a  very 
powerful  magician  ;  and  being  summoned  by  Pharaoh, 
their  mother  persuaded  them  to  go  to  their  father's  tomb 


COINCIDENCES  WITH  THE  MYSTERIES.  35<f 

and  ask  his  advice.  Having  propounded  their  inquiry, 
he  told  them  that  they  should  endeavor  to  ascertain 
whether  the  rod  of  Moses  became  a  serpent  while  its 
master  slept,  or  only  when  he  was  awake  ;  because  magi- 
cal devices  are  ineffective  during  the  sleep  of  the  sor- 
cerer, and,  therefore,  if  such  was  the  case,  they  might 
conclude  that  his  actions  were  directed  by  the  power  of 
God,  and  not  by  the  science  of  magic.  When  the  two 
magicians  arrived  in  Egypt,  these  inquiries  were  soon 
rewarded  with  the  information  that  when  Moses  and 
Aaron  retired  to  rest  their  rod  became  a  serpent  to  guard 
them  from  nocturnal  dangers. 

The  emblematical  serpent  had  a  place  in  the  most 
ancient  systems  of  primitive  Masonry,  and  was  a  symbol 
almost  coeval  with  its  institution  on  this  globe  by  the 
first  created  man.  Universally  esteemed  as  a  legitimate 
emblem,  found  in  the  oldest  tracing  boards  extant,  it  has 
been  retained  among  the  symbols  in  the  masonic  system  ; 
and  yet  its  origin  and  secret  reference  are  not  even,  if 
known,  satisfactorily  accounted  for  in  any  of  the  lectures 
usually  given. 

Many  and  various  are  the  speculations  that  have  been 
indulged  in  to  account  for  the  introduction  of  the  serpent 
as  a  symbol  in  the  secret  associations  of  man.  The  most 
reasonable  of  them  is,  that  our  first  parents  forfeited  all 
the  blessings  they  enjoyed  in  Paradise  by  a  violation  of 
the  covenant  on  which  the  tenure  was  suspended.  In 
the  form  of  a  serpent  the  evil  principle  assailed  the  woman 
with  the  subtle  and  prevailing  logic,  that  instead  of  death, 
she  would  enjoy  life,  and  knowledge,  and  happiness,  by 
tasting  the  delicious  but  forbidden  fruit ;  and  that  she 
and  her  partner  would  become  as  gods,  and  be  able  to 
distinguish  between  good  a'.\d  evil.  From  this  circum- 


354:  TRADITIONS  OP  FREEMASONRY. 

stance  originated  the  introduction  of  a  serpent  among 
the  symbols  of  Freemasonry,  not  only  to  commemorate 
the  unhappy  defection  of  our  first  parents,  through  the 
wiles  of  that  crafty  reptile,  but  also  to  keep  perpetually 
in  recollection  the  Redeemer  who  should  bruise  the  ser- 
pent's head.  Even  the  name,  applied  with  a  transmitted 
authority  to  the  destructive  power,  has  reached  our  times. 
Thus  the  Deva  or  Dive  of  the  East,  who  was  the  serpent* 
tempter  ;  the  Diu  of  Ancient  Hibernia,  the  Amoric  Due, 
and  the  Ga3lic  Dim,  was  no  other  than  the  Diabolus  of  the 
Greeks  and  Latins  and  the  English  Devil. 

It  is  an  extraordinary  fact,  that  every  nation  on  earth 
has  had  a  tradition  of  the  fall  of  man  from  a  state  of 
innocence  and  happiness  to  that  of  sin  and  suffering, 
through  the  machinations  of  a  serpent-tempter.  From 
this  tradition  originated  the  doctrine  of  the  old  philoso- 
phers of  a  perpetual  warfare  between  the  good  and  evil 
principles,  which  is  found  reproduced  in  so  many  and 
varied  forms  in  the  mysteries.  Pluto  overcame  the  vir- 
tue of  Proserpine  under  the  form  of  a  serpent ;  and,  .like 
the  Egyptian  god  Serapis,  was  always  pictured  seated  on 
a  serpent,  or  with  that  reptile  entwined  about  him.  The 
serpent  was  a  consecrated  symbol  in  the  mysteries  of 
Bacchus  and  those  of  Eleusis.  It  is  found  on  the  Mith- 
riac  monuments,  and  supplied  the  attributes  of  Typhon  to 
the  Egyptians.  The  sacred  basilisk,  in  coil,  with  head 
and  neck  erect,  was  the  royal  ensign  of  the  Pharaohs. 
On  a  tablet  in  one  of  the  tombs  at  Thebes,  a  god  with  a 
spear  pierces  a  serpent's  head.  On  a  tablet  from  the 
Temple  of  Osiris  at  Phila3  is  a  tree,  with  a  man  on  one 
Bide  and  a  woman  on  the  other,  and  in  front  of  the  woman 
an  erect  basilisk,  with  horns  on  its  head  and  a  disk  be- 
tween the  horns.  In  a  sculpture  from  Kouyunjik,  a  part 


COINCIDENCES  WITH  THE   MYSTERIES.  355 

of  the  ruins  of  ancient  Nineveh,  two  serpents  attached  to 
poles  are  near  a  fire  altar,  at  which  two  eunuchs  are 
standing.  Upon  it  is  the  sacred  fire,  and  a  bearded  figure 
leads  a  tvild  goat  to  the  sacrifice.  On  ancient  Tyrian 
coins  and  Indian  medals,  a  serpent  was  represented  coiled 
round  the  trunk  of  a  tree.  Python,  the  serpent  deity, 
was  esteemed  oracular,  and  the  tripod  at  Delphi  was  a 
triple-headed  serpent  of  gold. 

In  the  mysteries  of  Bacchus,  the  officers  held  serpents 
in  their  hands,  raised  them  above  their  heads,  and  cried 
aloud,  "  Eva  1"  the  generic  Oriental  name  of  the  serpent 
and  the  particular  name  of  the  constellation  in  which  the 
Persians  placed  Eve  and  the  serpent.  The  use  of  the 
word  Eva  or  Evoe  caused  Clemens  of  Alexandria  to  say 
that  the  priests  in  the  mysteries  invoked  Eve,  by  whom 
evil  was  brought  into  the  world. 

Among  the  Egyptians,  the  serpent  extended  at  length 
was  a  symbol  of  wisdom  ;  and  with  its  tail  in  its  mouth 
of  eternity.  In  the  ritual  of  Zoroaster,  the  serpent  was 
a  symbol  of  the  universe.  In  China,  the  ring  between 
two  serpents  was  the  symbol  of  the  world  governed  by 
the  power  and  wisdom  of  the  Creator.  The  serpent 
entwined  round  an  egg  was  a  symbol  common  to  the 
Indians,  the  Egyptians  and  the  Druids.  It  referred  to 
the  creation  of  the  universe.  A  serpent  with  an  egg  in 
its  mouth  was  a  symbol  of  the  universe  containing  within 
itself  the  germ  of  all  things  that  the  sun  develops. 

In  Persia  the  hierogram  was  two  serpents  contending 
for  an  egg,  as  a  symbol  of  the  world  •  and  in  India  it 
was  embodied  by  the  still  more  remarkable  figure  of  the 
serpent's  head  crushed  under  the  heel  of  the  middle  god 
Vischnou ;  while  in  a  corresponding  Mexican  painting  in 
the  Borgian  collection,  the  deity  appears  in  conflict  with 


356  TRADITIONS  OF  FREEMASONRY. 

a  dragon.     He  wounds  the  dragoris  head  with  a  sword, 
virile  the  monster  has  succeeded  in  biting  off  his  foot  / 
at  the  heel. 

The  Greek  mythology  furnishes  another  instance  of 
the  tradition  of  the  fall  of  man,  and  the  contests  for  su- 
preme authority  between  the  good  and  evil  powers,  in 
the  fable  of  the  Garden  of  Hesperides,  which  is  but  a 
corrupted  name  of  Paradise.  Here  existed  a  tree  which 
produced  golden  apples,  and  was  guarded  from  violation 
by  a  serpent  vomiting  fire  (an  evident  transcript,  in  the 
confused  and  blended  traditions  of  the  ancient  mythol- 
ogy, as  well  of  the  serpent- tempter  as  of  the  Saraph,  or 
flaming-cherub,  placed  to  guard  the  tree  of  life)  whose 
folds  encircled  the  trunk  of  the  sacred  tree.  Hercules 
in  his  character  of  god-man,  the  offspring  of  the  celestial 
father  and  a  terrestrial  mother,  successfully  encountered 
the  serpent,  and  having  slain  him  took  away  the  precious 
fruit.  This  event  being  deemed  of  sufficient  importance 
to  be  perpetuated,  it  was  introduced  into  the  celestial 
sphere,  where  Hercules  is  represented  as  trampling  on 
the  serpent's  head. 

Both  Jewish  and  Mahommedan  tradition  concur  in  that 
the  serpent  was  originally  empowered  with  the  faculty 
of  speech,  and  had  a  different  organization  from  its  pres- 
ent, particularly  with  reference  to  locomotion,  and  that  a 
part  of  the  punishment  for  the  deception  practiced  upon 
our  first  parents  was  to  be  deprived  of  the  power  of 
speech  and  to  go  upon  its  belly. 

The  serpent  was  also  a  symbol  of  regeneration,  because 
it  possesses  the  power  of  periodically  emerging  from  its 
old  skin  and  coming  forth  in  all  the  beauty  and  vigor  of 
youth.  In  this  symbol  we  find  another  instance  of  the 
prevailing  idea  in  Masonry  of  a  loss  and  a  recovery. 


Of  1-H," 


WITH    THE   MYSTERIES.  357 


The  second  sign  which  Moses  required  to  show  the 
Children  of  Israel,  as  an  evidence  of  his  divine  commis- 
sion, was  the  exhibition  of  a  leprous  hand  and  its  miracu- 
lous restoration.  The  Jews  looked  on  the  leprosy  as  a 
disease  sent  from  God  as  an  especial  punishment,  and 
Moses  prescribes  no  natural  remedy  for  it.  As  it  was 
an  infectious  disease,  capable  of  being  communicated  to 
others,  the  leper  was  separated  from  the  company  of 
mankind  ;  and  even  at  the  present  day,  those  who  have 
the  disease  in  Oriental  countries  are  obliged  to  take  up 
their  residence  outside  the  city  walls.  In  this  we  have 
a  repetition  of  the  before-mentioned  idea  of  a  loss  and  a 
recovery.  The  hand  of  Moses  sustained  a  loss  of  vital- 
ity, but  on  returning  it  to  his  bosom  and  again  plucking 
it  out,  it  was  restored  as  his  other  flesh. 

The  third  sign  was  that  of  pouring  water  upon  the 
ground.  "  And  it  shall  come  to  pass,  if  they  will  not 
believe  also  these  two  signs,  neither  hearken  unto  thy 
voice,  that  thou  shalt  take  of  the  water  of  the  river,  and 
pour  it  upon  the  dry  land  ;  and  the  water,  which  thou 
takest  out  of  the  river,  shall  become  blood  upon  the  dry 
land."  This  was  the  last  and  most  important,  and  de- 
signed to  be  the  crowning  evidence  to  the  Israelites  of 
the  selection  of  Moses  as  their  deliverer.  The  life  of  the 
creature  is  in  its  blood,  and  animal  life  does  so  depend 
on  the  blood,  that  no  creature  can  live  without  it.  In 
this  sign  is  again  found  the  idea  of  a  loss  and  a  recovery; 
in  water  there  is  no  life,  but  blood  is  life  itself. 

"As  the  signs  given  by  Moses  were  ordained  by  their 
Divine  Author  to  establish  the  authority  of  the  mission  in 
which  the  Jewish  lawgiver  was  to  be  engaged,  in  rescuing 
his  people  from  the  darkness  of  the  Egyptian  idolatry, 
and  in  bringing  them  to  the  knowledge  and  worship  of 


358  TRADITIONS    OF    FREEMASONRY. 

the  true  God,  so  are  they  here  symbolic  of  the  evidence 
which  every  Mason  is  to  give  of  his  mission,  in  rescuing 
himself  from  the  bondage  of  falsehood  and  in  searching 
for  divine  truth." 

The  exodus  of  the  Children  of  Israel  from  Egypt  took 
place,  according  to  the  present  Hebrew  text,  in  the  year 
805  after  the  Flood,  and  1543  B.  c ;  according  to  the 
Samaritan  Pentateuch,  in  the  year  1455  after  the  Flood, 
and  1481  B.  c. ;  and  according  to  the  Septuagint,  1585 
years  after  the  Flood,  and  2173  B.  c. 

Pilgrimage  to  certain  cities  and  temples  are  of  most 
ancient  date  in  Egypt,  and,  in  fact,  appear  to  have  been 
interwoven  with  the  very  original  establishments  and  in- 
stitutions of  that  country.  Moses,  mindful  that  Pharaoh 
was  fully  aware  of  this  ancient  custom,  probably  addressed 
him  somewhat  after  this  manner  :  We  see  many  of  your 
own  subjects  leave  your  dominions  for  a  time  to  perform 
their  worship  in  what  they  esteem  a  peculiarly  sacred 
place,  whereas  you  do  not  suffer  us  to  enjoy  that  liberty  ; 
but  bind  us  continually  to  our  burdens :  we  also  desire 
the  same  permission  as  they  receive,  and  propose  to  form 
a  caravan  of  Israelites  who  may  worship  the  God  of  their 
fathers  in  a  place,  and  in  a  manner  of  His  own  appoint- 
ment, where  we  may  be  secure  from  the  profane  inter- 
ference of  bystanders  while  performing  our  sacred 
services. 

In  pursuing  their  journey  from  the  Eed  Sea  to  the 
Promised  Land,  the  Children  of  Israel  were  marshaled 
in  four  divisions,  three  tribes  in  each  division,  and  each 
tribe  was  subdivided  into  families.  Each  head  of  a  sub- 
division was  furnished  with  an  ensign  or  banner  under 
which  his  followers  arranged  themselves,  and  thus  all 
confusion  was  prevented.  It  is  estimated  that  the  whole 


COINCIDENCES  WITH  THE  MYSTERIES.  359 

number  that  left  Egypt  on  this  occasion  was  nearly  three 
million.  The  men  able  to  bear  arms,  as  enumerated  by 
Moses,  somewhat  exceeded  six  hundred  thousand.  The 
form  of  the  camp  was  a  square,  each  side  of  which  was  j 
twelve  miles.  The  tabernacle  was  in  the  midst,  sur-/ 
rounded  by  the  tents  of  the  Levites.  On  the  banners  of  " 
the  four  leading  divisions  was  painted  one  of  the  compo-  j 
nent  parts  of  the  cherubim.  The  banner  of  the  first  di- 
vision was  of  crimson  or  scarlet,  and  the  design  was  a 
lion  couch  ant,  surmounted  by  a  crown.  It  was  borne 
by  one  of  the  princes  of  Judali,  and  its  station  in  the 
camp  was  the  east.  In  this  division  were  the  tribes  of 
Judah,Issachar  and  Zebulun.  The  banner  of  the  second 
division  was  red,  and  the  design  was  a  man.  It  was  borne 
by  one  of  the  princes  of  Reuben,  and  was  stationed  in  the 
south  part  of  the  camp.  In  this  division  were  the  tribes 
of  Gad,  Reuben  and  Simeon.  The  banner  of  the  third 
division  was  green,  and  the  design  was  an  ox.  It  was 
borne  by  one  of  the  princes  of  Ephraim,  and  was  sta- 
tioned in  the  north  part  of  the  camp.  In  this  division 
were  the  children  of  Ephraim,  Manasseh  and  Benjamin. 
The  banner  of  the  fourth  division  was  of  bright  green, 
and  the  design  was  an  eagle.  It  was  borne  by  one  of  the 
princes  of  Dan,  and  was  stationed  in  the  west.  In  this 
division  were  the  tribes  of  Dan,  Asher  and  Naphtali. 

Yatabulus  says,  "  The  banner  of  Reuben  was  a  man, 
signifying  religion  and  reason  (intelligence) ;  Judah's  was 
a  lion,  denoting  power  (strength)  ;  Ephraim's  was  an  oxy 
denoting  toil  and  patience  ;  and  Dan's  an  eagle,  denoting 
wisdom,  sublimity  and  swiftness" 

Each  tribe  had  a  banner  under  which  they  gathered 
themselves  in  marching,  and  pitched  their  tents  in  camp. 
The  devices  on  the  banners  were  emblematical  of  what 


360  TRADITIONS   OF  FREEMASONS 5, 

should  happen  to  their  posterity  in  after  ages.  In  the 
east,  the  position  of  honor  were  the  tribes  of  Judah, 
Issachar  and  Zebulun.  The  banner  of  Judah  was  crimson 
or  scarlet ;  that  of  Issachar  sky-blue,  and  that  of  Zebu- 
lun purple.  Thus  the  principal  quarter  of  the  camp  was 
marked  by  standards  of  the  three  royal  colors,  ~blue,purple 
and  crimson  or  scarlet.  These  colors  are  said  to  be 
emblematic  of  Friendship,  Union  and  Zeal. 

The  Children  of  Israel  had  often  been  attacked  by  the 
neighboring  nations  with  varying  results.  Sometimes 
they  were  preserved  by  their  valor,  at  other  times  by  the 
direct  and  marvelous  interposition  of  the  power  of  God  ; 
again  they  suffered  defeat,  thousands  were  taken  prison- 
ers and  carried  captives  into  foreign  lands  ;  but  although 
the  nation  had  several  times  been  made  tributary,  yet 
previous  to  the  last  attack  by  Nebuchadnezzar  the  city 
of  Jerusalem  had  never  been  actually  destroyed. 

Nebuchadnezzar  was  associated  with  his  father,  Nabo- 
polasser,  on  the  throne  of  Babylon,  about  A.  M.  3397. 
The  next  year  he  assembled  a  large  army  and  marched 
to  and  besieged  Jerusalem ;  making  Jehoiakim,  the  king, 
tributary,  he  stripped  the  temple  of  a  number  of  the  holy 
vessels  and  carried  many  of  the  principal  persons  captive 
to  Babylon,  among  whom  was  the  Prophet  Daniel.  From 
this  year,  A.  M.  3398,  commences  the  computation  of  the 
seventy  years'  captivity. 

Three  years  thereafter  he  again  attacked  Jerusalem, 
and  placed  Jehoiachin  on  the  throne,  having  slain  his 
father,  Johoiakin.  Becoming  suspicious  of  the  loyalty  of 
the  Hebrew  king,  he  sent  another  army  into  Jerusalem, 
dethroned  Jehoiachin,  carried  him  captive  to  Babylon 
and  placed  Zedekiah  on  the  throne.  Eight  years  there- 
after Zedekiah  revolted  and  entered  into  a  treaty  with 


COINCIDENCES  WITH  THE  MYSTERIES.  361 

the  King  of  Egypt.  Nebuchadnezzar  hearing  of  Zede- 
kiah 7s  defection,  assembled  another  large  army,  marched 
into  Judea,  laid  waste  the  country  in  his  march,  took 
the  fortified  towns  and  laid  siege  to  Jerusalem..  The 
King  of  Egypt  marched  his  army  to  relieve  his  ally 
Zedekiah ;  the  King  of  Babylon  raising  the  siege  of  Jeru- 
salem, precipitated  his  army  upon  that  of  the  Egyptians 
and  drove  them  out  of  the  country. 

The  next  year  Nebuchadnezzar  proceeded  with  another 
army  to  the  siege  of  Jerusalem.  The  Jews  defended 
their  capital  with  great  valor  for  eighteen  months.  To 
the  horrors  of  war,  that  of  famine  was  added,  which,  car- 
rying off  vast  numbers,  the  dead  lying  unburied  in  the 
streets,  brought  on  a  pestilential  distemper,  and  finally, 
at  midnight,  on  Wednesday,  the  7th  of  the  fifth  month, 
corresponding  to  the  27th  of  July,  the  city  was  taken  by 
assault,  assisted  by  treachery  from  within.  Thus  Jerusalem 
fell  four  hundred  and  seventy  years  and  six  months  after 
the  building  of  the  temple,  and  one  thousand  and  sixty- 
two  years  and  six  months  after  the  departure  out  of  Egypt. 

Nebuchadnezzar  returned  to  Babylon,  taking  with  him 
Zedekiah  bound  in  chains,  having  first  put  out  his  eyes. 
The  army  was  left  under  command  of  Nebuzaradan,  to 
complete  the  work  of  destruction.  He  pillaged  the  tem- 
ple of  all  the  consecrated  vessels,  and  all  its  ornaments 
of  gold,  silver  and  brass,  and  then  caused  it  to  be  burnt ; 
and  after  destroying  the  palace  of  David,  overthrowing 
the  city  and  breaking  down  the  walls  thereof,  he  de- 
parted, taking  with  him  as  captives  and  bound  in  triangular 
chains,  as  an  insult  to  their  God,  all  the  princes,  nobles, 
priests  and  the  better  class  of  people  to  Babylon.  Those 
who  had  fallen  away  to  the  Assyrians  during  the  siege> 
and  the  poorer  classes,  were  left  behind  to  till  the  soil. 
16 


CHAPTER  XVII. 


ROYAL    ARCH — CONTINUED. 

PART  II.— Babylon,  its  Situation,  etc.  —  Tradition  of  Cyrus  the  Great  —  Ilia 
Capture  of  Babylon  —  Daniel  instructed  Pythagoras  and  Zoroaster  in 
the  Hebrew  Mysteries  —  Acquainted  Cyrus  with  Isaiah's  Prophecy  — 
Proclamation  of  Cyrus  —  Hebrews  amassed  Great  Wealth  while  in 
Captivity  —  Great  Numbers  declined  to  Return  —  Route  traveled  in 
Returning  —  Rabba  —  Palmyra  or  Tadmor  —  Duration  of  Journey  — 
Samaritans,  Enemies  of  the  Jews  —  Refused  Permission  to  Assist  in  the 
Rebuilding  —  Required  to  Trace  their  Genealogy  —  Signets  an  Evidence 
of  Delegated  Authority  —  Tradition  of  the  Discovery  of  a  Vault  —  An- 
tiquity of  the  Arch  and  Key-stone  —  Wealth  secreted  in  Caverns  or 
Vaults  —  Vaults  under  the  Temple  — Ark  of  the  Covenant  — Tradition 
of  the  Cubical  Stone  —  Pentateuch  lost  at  two  Different  Periods  —  Found 
—  Tradition  of  Finding  a  Roll  in  a  Vault  under  the  Temple  —  Symbolism 
of  the  Key  —  God  declared  his  Name  to  Moses  —  None  but  High  Priests 
allowed  to  Pronounce  the  Name  —  Substitute  for  it — Pronunciation 
Lost  —  Different  Names  used  —  Tetragrammaton  —  Veneration  of  it  — 
Word  Incomprehensible  —  Veneration  for  a  Particular  Word  not  pecu- 
liar to  the  Hebrews  —  Examples:  Egyptian,  Hindoo,  Persian,  Mexican, 
etc.  —  Words  claiming  Attention  of  Royal  Arch  Masons  —  Golden  Can- 
dlestick —  Equilateral  Triangle  —  Jewel  of  the  Chief  Architect  of  the 
First  Temple  —  Seal  of  Solomon,  Zerubbabel  and  Pythagoras  —  Curious 
Coincidence  in  formation  of  Three  Words  —  Triple  Tau  or  Tau  Cross  — 
Tradition,  Sign  of  Life  —  Speculations  on  its  Origin  —  Five  Grund  Signs 
— Conclusion. 

PART  II. — A  period  of  seventy  years  is  supposed  to 
have  elapsed  between  the  end  of  the  first  and  the  com- 
mencement of  the  second  section  of  the  Royal  Arch 
degree. 

Babylon  was  situated  in  the  plain  of  Shinar,  and  after 
the  fall  of  Nineveh  was  the  capital  of  the  Assyrian  em- 
pire. Its  origin  is  lost  in  the  obscurity  of  early  times. 

(362) 


COINCIDENCES  WITH  THE  MYSTERIES.  363 

Within  its  walls  was  the  Tower  of  Babel,  besides  numer- 
ous palaces,  several  of  them  covering  an  area  of  from  one 
to  two  and  a-half  square  miles.  The  form  of  the  city 
was  that  of  a  square,  traversed  each  way  by  twenty-five 
principal  streets,  which  qjf  course  intersected  each  other, 
dividing  the  city  into  six  hundred  and  twenty-five 
squares.  These  streets  were  terminated  at  each  end  by 
gates  of  brass  of  prodigious  size  and  strength,  with  a 
smaller  one  opening  toward  the  river. 

The  walls  were  from  seventy  to  eighty  feet  wide  on 
the  top,  and  are  said  to  have  been  three  hundred  feet  in 
height,  and  inclosed  an  area  of  seventy-five  square  miles. 
The  city  was  divided  in  two  parts  by  the  River  Euphrates, 
which  ran  through  it  from  north  to  south.  Nebuchad- 
nezzar faced  the  banks  of  that  part  of  the  river  inclosed 
within  the  walls  with  brick,  cemented  by  bitumen,  the 
course  of  the  river  having  been  changed  for  the  time  into 
an  immense  reservoir  or  lake. 

Babylon  was  probably  in  the  zenith  of  its  glory  during 
the  time  of  the  Jewish  captivity.  The  spoils  of  Nineveh, 
Jerusalem  and  Egypt  had  enriched  it.  The  arts  and 
sciences,  driven  from  Phoenicia  and  Egypt,  were  centered 
here,  and  hither  the  philosophers  of  the  West  came  to 
imbibe  instruction.  Among  them  were  Pythagoras,  Zo- 
roaster, Plato,  etc. 

Tradition  says,  that  Astyages,  the  last  King  of  Media, 
dreaming  that  he  would  be  dethroned  by  his  grandson, 
married  his  daughter  to  Cambyses,  a  Persian.  A  second 
dream,  equally  alarming,  induced  him  to  deliver  his  daugh- 
ter's infant  son,  afterward  Cyrus  the  Great,  to  one  of  his 
servants  with  orders  to  murder  it.  Harpagus  imposed 
on  Astyages  the  dead  infant  of  an  herdsman  as  the  body 
of  his  grandson.  Cambyses  afterward  became  King  of 


364  TRADITIONS    OF    FREEMASONRY. 

Persia  and  associated  Cyrus  with  himself  on  the  throne. 
Cyrus,  at  the  head  of  the  Persian  army,  invaded  Media, 
dethroned  Astyages,  according  to  the  import  of  the  two 
dreams,  and  placed  his  uncle  Cyaxares  II.  (Darius)  on 
the  throne.  After  overunning:  the  greater  part  of  Asia, 
he  B.  c.  541,  besieged  Babylon.  The  siege  lasted  over 
two  years.  The  height  and  strength  of  the  walls  baffled 
every  effort  of  the  invader,  which,  together  with  the 
abundance  of  provisions  within  the  city,  rendered  the 
inhabitants  fearless  of  the  result  of  Cyrus'  efforts.  The 
river  also  they  regarded  as  one  of  the  greatest  elements 
of  strength  ;  but,  with  such  an  enemy  as  Cyrus,  it  proved 
their  destruction. 

The  Babylonians  had  a  custom  of  celebrating  an  annual 
feast.  Considering  the  city  perfectly  secure,  during  the 
second  year  of  the  siege,  they  celebrated  the  feast  with 
more  than  usual  scenes  of  revelry  and  drunkenness. 
Cyrus  ordered  that  the  embankment  that  led  to  the  great 
lake  excavated  by  Nebuchadnezzar  should  be  opened  at 
dark,  and  as  soon  as  the  river  had  become  fordable,  that 
the  divided  army  should  enter  by  the  channel  at  both 
sides  of  the  city.  This  happened  at  midnight,  when  the 
river  had  become  nearly  dry.  For  the  reception  of  the 
water  there  were  also  the  ditches  which  had  been  dug 
round  the  city  walls  during  the  siege.  The  army  entered 
the  channel  6n  both  sides  at  once  ;  the  gates  leading  to 
the  river  had  been  left  open  by  the  drunken  negligence 
of  the  guards,  and  the  army  of  Cyrus  met  at  the  palace 
in  the  centre  of  the  city  before  any  alarm  had  been  given. 
Belshazzar,  the  king,  and  his  armed  followers  were  slain 
in  the  banqueting  hall.  Cyrus  placed  his  uncle,  Cyax- 
ares II.,  or  Darius,  on  the  throne  of  Babylon,  as  he  had 
before  on  that  of  Media,  and  returned  to  Persia.  Darius 


COINCIDENCES  WITH  THE  MYSTERIES.  365 

reigned  but  two  years  and  died.  Cyrus  had  succeeded 
to  the  throne  of  Persia  by  the  death  of  Cambyses,  and 
by  the  death  o.  Darius  to  those  of  Media  and  Assyria, 
thus  uniting  the  governments  of  the  three  empires. 

The  probity  of  the  Prophet  Daniel,  who  had  been  car- 
ried captive  to  Babylon  by  Nebuchadnezzar  from  his  first 
incursion  into  Judea ;  his  gentle  manners  and  extensive 
learning,  had  raised  him  to  places  of  honor  in  the  Assy- 
rian court,  and  he  had  been  held  in  high  estimation  by 
all  the  monarchs  who  had  reigned  since  his  sojourn  in 
Babylon.  When  Cyrus  ascended  the  throne,  Daniel  was 
one  of  the  principal  dignitaries  of  the  kingdom.  Pytha- 
gorts  on  his  return  from  Egypt  sojourned  for  several 
years  in  Babylon,  where  it  is  related  that  Daniel  in- 
structed him  and  Zoroaster  in  the  laws  and  mysteries 
of  the  Hebrew  religion,  and  was  in  turn  instructed  by 
them  in  the  mysteries  of  Egypt,  Greece,  Persia  and  the 
Magii. 

Daniel  acquainted  Cyrus  with  the  prophecies  of  Isaiah, 
in  which  he  was  mentioned  by  name  as  the  king  who 
should  liberate  the  Children  of  Israel  and  restore  them  to 
their  own  country.  The  knowledge  of  the  prophecies  had 
the  desired  effect,  for  Cyrus,  in  the  first  year  of  his  reign 
over  Babylon,  B.  c.  536,  issued  a  proclamation  liberating 
the  Jews,  not  only  permitting  them  to  return  to  their 
own  country,  but  authorizing  them  to  rebuild  the  temple 
and  also  the  city  and  its  fortifications ;  his  royal  favor 
extended  still  farther,  he  restored  the  holy  vessels  of 
which  the  temple  had  been  pillaged  by  the  Assyrians, 
besides  making  large  contributions  from  the  royal 
treasury. 

The  captive  Hebrews  had  been  permitted  to  engage  in 
business  in  Babylon,  and  many  of  them  had  amassed 


366  TRADITIONS   OF   FREEMASONRY. 

great  wealth,  and  were  unwilling  to  avail  themselves  of 
the  privilege  of  returning  to  Judea.  Having  all  the  ease 
and  luxury  that  wealth  could  procure,  they  were  unwill- 
ing to  resign  these  effeminate  enjoyments  and  endure  the 
hardships  of  toil  and  privations  ^cessarily  attendant 
upon  a  journey  over  deserts,  througu  the  wilderness,  and 
exposed  to  the  dangers  incident  to  passing  through  a 
country  inhabited  by  a  hostile  people.  The  whole  coun- 
try of  Judea  having  been  devastated  and  its  cities  de- 
stroyed, supplies  for  the  journey  could  not  be  obtained 
on  the  route,  except  of  the  poorest  kind ;  the  journey, 
therefore,  became  a  difficult  and  dangerous  one.  It  was 
only  their  religious  zeal,  and  through  oft  supplications  to 
the  God  of  their  fathers,  that  the  returning  captives 
were  enabled  to  surmount  the  difficulties  which  appeared 
in  the  start  interminable. 

History  records  no  account  of  the  route  traveled  by 
the  captives,  either  in  their  journey  from  or  return  to 
Jerusalem.  Masonic  tradition  says  that  their  road  in 
returning  carried  them  past  the  ruins  of  the  cities  of 
Rabba,  Tadmor  or  Palmyra,  in  the  desert,  and  Damas- 
cus, each  of  which  had  been  taken  by  the  Assyrians  and 
pillaged.  The  forest  of  Lebanon  and  quarries  of  Zara- 
datha  were  also  included  in  their  route. 

Rabba,  the  Rabbath  of  Scripture,  was  a  famous  and 
considerable  city  even  in  the  time  of  Moses,  who  tells  us 
that  here  was  preserved  the  iron  bedstead  of  King  Og, 
which  was  nine  cubits  (fifteen  feet  nine  inches)  long  and 
four  (seven  feet)  wide.  Ptolemy  Philadelphus  gave  it 
the  name  of  Philadelphia,  which  is  its  designation  in  the 
New  Testament. 

Palmyra  (Volt"!  Tadmor),  a  city  situated  in  the  wilder- 
ness of  Syria,  about  six  days'  journey  from  Damascus,  was 


COINCIDENCES  WITH  THE  MYSTERIES.  367 

built  by  King  Solomon  about  twenty  years  after  the  com- 
pletion of  the  temple.  It  was  erected  to  accommodate 
and  change  the  direction  of  the  carrying  trade,  and  be- 
came one  of  the  sources  of  the  immense  wealth  of  Solo- 
mon. Its  ruins  indicate  that  the  walls  must  have  been  at 
least  ten  miles  in  circumference. 

Masonic  tradition  says  that  the  journey  of  the  first  and 
largest  body  of  the  returning  captives  occupied  four 
months,  they  arriving  in  Jerusalem  on  the  22d  day  of 
June,  B.  c.  535. 

The  Samaritans  were  bitter  enemies  of  the  Jews,  which 
was  prominently  shown  during  the  reign  of  Cyrus  and 
his  immediate  successors,  and  it  appears  that  the  Chil- 
dren of  Israel  returned  their  hostility  with  interest.  At 
the  commencement  of  the  rebuilding  of  the  temple  they 
came  to  Jerusalem,  and  expressing  a  great  desire  to  be 
admitted  to  worship  God  at  the  same  temple,  in  joint 
communion  with  them,  offered  to  join  them  in  the  re- 
building of  it.  But  the  Grand  Council  made  answer  to 
them,  that  they,  not  being  of  the  seed  of  Israel,  had 
nothing  to  do  in  the  building  of  a  temple  to  God  by  the 
chosen  race.  The  exclusive  character  of  the  religion  of 
the  Hebrews,  separated  as  it  always  had  been  by  peculiar 
rites  from  that  of  every  nation,  made  it  impossible  for  its 
disciples  to  permit  those  who  were  not  of  the  true  and 
ancient  faith  to  unite  with  them  in  any  holy  or  religious 
work.  Hence  the  builders  of  the  second  temple  were  ex- 
tremely vigilant  in  seeing  that  no  impostors  from  among 
the  adversaries — that  is,  the  Samaritans — and  the  other 
nations  with  which  the  kings  of  Assyria  had  peopled 
Jerusalem,  should  be  allowed  to  mingle  with  the  ivorkmen. 

"  All  who  came  up  to  this  sacred  task  were  bound  to 
afford  the  evidence  that  they  were  the  descendants  of 


368  TRADITIONS   OP  FREEMASONRY. 

those  faithful  Giblimites  who  had  wrought  at  the  build- 
ing of  the  first  temple,  who,  at  its  completion  and  dedica- 
tion, were  received  and  acknowledged  as  Most  Excellent 
Masters ;  at  its  destruction  by"  Nebuchadnezzar,  were 
carried  captives  into  Babylon,  and  being  released  by  the 
proclamation  of  Cyrus  king  of  Persia,  had  come  up  to 
assist  in  the  glorious  task  of  rebuilding  the  house  of  the 
Lord  without  the  hope  of  fee  or  reward.  These,  and 
these  alone,  were  permitted  to  engage  in  the  construction 
of  the  edifice.7' 

Discoveries  made  in  the  ancient  ruins  of  Mexico, 
Egypt,  India,  Nineveh,  etc.,  sustains  the  proposition 
that  signets  were  very  common  in  ancient  times  and  were 
used  by  even  the  common  people.  Monarchs  often  con- 
fided their  signet  or  private  seal  to  parties  surrounding 
the  throne,  instead  of  a  written  testimonial  as  a  token  of 
some  authority  delegated,  and  of  which  the  possession 
of  the  signet  was  therefore  the  only  evidence.  The  pos- 
session of  a  monarch's  signet  was  the  evidence  of  high 
power,  dignity  and  trust.  The  masonic  emblem  is  to  sig- 
nify to  the  possessor  that  he  is  advancing  in  his  progress 
to  the  attainment  of  truth,  and  that  he  is  thus  invested 
with  the  authority  to  pursue  the  search.  Obviously  the 
first  labor  toward  rebuilding  the  temple  was  the  clearing 
away  of  the  rubbish  of  the  first,  to  enable  the  workmen 
to  lay  the  foundation.  Rabbinical  tradition  says,  that 
in  preparing  the  foundation,  the  workmen  discovered  a 
subterranean  vault  or  cavity,  supported  by  seven  pairs  of 
pillars  supporting  so  many  arches.  -The  entrance  to  the 
vault,  at  the  destruction  of  the  temple,  having  been  cov- 
ered with  the  rubbish  of  the  building,  escaped  observation, 
and  was  indicated  at  the  present  period  by  the  discovery 
of  a  key-stone. 


COINCIDENCES  WITH  THE  MYSTEEIES.  369 

The  researches  of  archaeologists  have  traced  the  exist- 
ence of  the  arches,  both  round  and  pointed,  two  thousand 
years  anterior  to  the  classic  piles  of  Greece  and  Home, 
and  thus  completely  reconciled  the  traditions  of  Masonry 
with  the  accuracy  of  history.  In  early  times,  as  at  the 
present  day  in  Oriental  countries,  wealth  and  treasures 
of  particular  importance  were  secreted  in  subterranean 
caverns  or  vaults  in  the  earth.  In  Bartlettfs  Walk 
about  the  City  of  Jerusalem  is  described  a  small  vault, 
under  that  part  of  the  Mosque  of  Omar  which  occupies  the 
site  of  the  Sanctum  Sanctorum  of  the  ancient  temple, 
and  the  Mahommedans  claim  that  it  was  built  by  Solomon. 
Maundrell,  in  his  Book  of  Travels,  speaks  of  vaults  under 
the  temple,  arched  at  the  tops  with  huge,  firm  stone. 
Others  make  mention  of  secret  vaults  as  existing  in  the 
pyramids  of  Egypt,  and  in  different  parts  of  the  world 
among  the  ruins  of  ancient  temples.  It  appears  that  a 
vault  or  subterranean  cavern  was  necessary  in  the 
celebration  of  each  of  the  sacred  mysteries  of  the 
ancients. 

The  Ark  of  the  Covenant,  overshadowed  by  the  wings 
of  the  cherubim,  was  also  called  the  Ark  of  Alliance,  as 
being  an  emblem  of  the  alliance  which  God  had  made 
with  his  people  ;  it  was  a  symbol  or  representative  of 
the  Divine  Presence  ;  it  was  placed  in  the  sanctuary  on 
a  rough  stone-pedestal,  concerning  which  there  are  many 
curious  traditions.  The  stone  is  variously  denominated 
the  cube,  the  corner,  the  stone  of  foundation,  and  the 
stone  of  Adam. 

Rabbinical  tradition  traces  its  history  thus  :  That  it  was 
upon  this  stone  that  Abel  offered  his  sacrifice  which  was  ac- 
cepted ;  from  Abel  it  was  successively  in  the  possession  of 
Seth,  Enoch  and  R'oah,  to  2Vbraham,  and  formed  the  altar 
16* 


370  TRADITIONS   OF   FREEMASONRY. 

upon  -which  the  latter  prepared  to  offer  np  his  son  Isaac. 
It  was  used  as  an  altar  by  Isaac ;  Was  the  stone  upon 
which  Jacob  had  rested  when  he  had  the  vision  of  the 
ladder.  It  was  carried  into  Egypt  and  placed  in  the 
sepulchre  of  Joseph  ;  was  carried  with  his  bones  by  the 
Hebrews  when  they  fled  from  Egypt,  and  found  its  way 
into  the  possession  of  Moses,  who  used  it  successfully  on 
several  occasions,  and  it  became  the  resting-place  of  the 
Ark  of  the  Covenant  during  the  wanderings  of  the  Chil- 
dren of  Israel  and  in  the  Promised  Land.  It  was  used 
for  the  same  purpose  in  the  Temple  of  Solomon,  and  was 
found  in  the  Temples  of  Zerubbabel  and  Herod.  Another 
tradition  says,  that  it  remained  in  the  foundation  after 
Titus  destroyed  the  temple,  to  resist  the  impious  attempt 
of  Julian  the  Apostate  to  frustrate  our  Saviour's  proph- 
ecy, by  emitting  flames  of  fire,  which  scattered  and 
destroyed  the-  workmen. 

The  final  disposition  of  the  Ark  of  the  Covenant  is 
unknown.  No  mention  is  made  in  the  Scriptures  of  its 
removal  previous  to  the  destruction  of  the  temple  by  the 
Assyrians.  There  are  a  number  of  traditions  relative 
to  its  disposition,  some  of  which  have  been  heretofore 
noticed.  It  is  certain,  however,  that  it  was  not  pres- 
ent in  the  second  temple,  but  instead  thereof,  accord- 
ing to  masonic  tradition,  there  was  an  exact  counterpart 
to  it,  which  forms  a  part  of  the  history  given  in  this 
degree. 

It  is  supposed  that  at  two  different  periods  there  was 
no  copy  of  the  Pentateuch  known  to  be  in  existence  :  first, 
during  the  reign  of  Ammon,  son  of  Manasseh  ;  and  second, 
during  the  Captivity  While  the  temple  was  being  re- 
paired in  the  reign  of  Josiah,  who  succeeded  Ammon,  B.  c. 
624,  a  solitary  copy  was  found  by  Hilkiah  the  High 


COINCIDENCES    WITH   THE  MYSTERIES.  371 

Priest ;  this  era  is  the  date  of  the  Irish  Eoyal  Arch  de- 
gree. At  the  rebuilding  of  the  temple  after  the  Captivity, 
B.  c.  534,  a  copy  of  the  Pentateuch  was  found  hidden  in 
a  part  of  the  temple  which  had  not  been  destroyed.  The 
recovery  of  this  long  lost  Book  of  the  Law,  B.  c.  534,  is 
adopted  as  the  date  of  the  Royal  Arch  degree  of  the 
American  system. 

In  reference  to  the  claim  that  this  discovery  was  an 
original  copy  of  the  Pentateuch,  written  in  the  time  of 
Moses,  it  has  been  argued  that  writing  could  not  remain 
in  a  perfect  state  of  preservation  for  so  long  a  period ! 
Writings  of  the  Egyptians  are  extant  and  legible  at  this 
day  which  were  executed  over  three  thousand  years  ago. 
Moses  was  learned  in  all  the  arts  and  sciences  of  the 
Egyptians.  Why  is  it  not  reconcilable,  then,  that  a  writ- 
ten copy  of  the  Pentateuch  could  be  in  existence  and 
legible,  though  executed  nine  hundred  years  previously  ? 

It  is  not  claimed  that  the  world  is  indebted  to  Masonry 
for  the  preservation  of  the  Pentateuch  ;  the  discovery  of 
the  sacred  roll  of  the  law — a  circumstance  of  vast  import- 
ance to  mankind,  as  it  was  supposed  to  be  lost — has  been 
embodied  in  the  masonic  system  ;  thus  adding  another  to 
the  many  testimonies  of  their  regard  and  veneration  as 
an  order,  for  that  which  was  long  lost,  and  now  found. 

Philostorgius,  and  after  him  Nicephorus,  relate,  that  at 
the  clearing  of  the  foundations,  when  Julian  the  Apostate 
set  himself  to  rebuild  the  temple,  a  stone  was  taken  up 
that  covered  the  mouth  of  a  deep  cave,  cut  out  of  the  rock 
in  a  cubical  form,  Into  which  one  of  the  laborers  was 
lowered  by  a  rope  fastened  around  his  middle.  He  found 
it  full  of  water  a  foot  deep,  and  in  the  centre  an  altar, 
reaching  above  the  surface  of  the  water,  on  which  lay 
the  roll  of  a  'book  wrapped  in  a  fine  linen  cloth.  Being 


372  TRADITIONS    OF    FREEMASONRY. 

drawn  up,  the  linen  was  observed  to  be  fresh  and  unde- 
cayed  ;  and  the  roll  being  unfolded  was  found,  to  the 
amazement  of  both  Jews  and  Gentiles,  to  contain  the 
first  words  of  the  Gospel  of  St.  John,  written  in  capital 
letters — IN  THE  BEGINNING  WAS  THE  WORD,  AND  THE 

WORD   WAS  WITH   GOD,  AND   THE  WORD   WAS    GOD. 

It  is  asserted  by  old  authors,  as  beyond  all  question, 
that  St.  John  was  not  the  author  of  these  words,  but, 
having  found  them  to  his  hand,  existing  after  the  circuit 
of  ages  and  centuries,  the  composition  seemed  so  pure 
and  so  consonant  with  Christianity,  nay,  its  very  vitality 
and  soul,  that  he  adopted  it  as  a  preface  to  his  own  pro- 
duction. Some  of  the  Rabbis  assert  that  these  words 
were  originally  found  in  the  commencement  of  the  Book 
of  Genesis,  and  had  been  omitted  in  transcribing. 

The  system  of  Masonry,  as  in  its  original  inception, 
still  claims  to  be  a  system  of  religion  in  which  all  men 
can  unite,  and  the  Book  of  the  Law  furnishes  the  key  to 
its  mysteries,  for  without  it  many  matters  purely  masonic 
would  remain  an  impenetrable  mystery,  and  Masonry  in 
turn  helps  to  solve  many  of  its  mysterious  passages. 

The  Key,  as  a  symbol,  has  been  used  from  the  most 
remote  ages.  In  the  ancient  mysteries  it  was  an  emblem 
of  secrecy  and  power.  The  Mason  beholds  in  the  key, 
so  say  the  old  lectures,  an  emblem  which  teaches  him  to 
keep  a  tongue  of  good  report  and  to  abstain  from  tho 
debasing  vices  of  slander  and  defamation.  And  as  the 
great  object  of  Masonry  is  a  search  after  truth,  "the 
symbolism  of  the  key  may  be  extended.  It  is  within  the 
pages  of  the  law  that  this  invaluable  key  is  found,  which 
teaches  us  that  it  is  only  in  the  revelations  of  the  Su- 
preme Architect  of  the  Universe  that  DIVINE  TRUTH  is 
to  be  discovered. 


COINCIDENCES  WITH  THE  MYSTERIES.  373 

"  That  stupendous  mystery  concealed  before  the  Flood 
by  the  wisdom  and  piety  of  Enoch,  preserved  among  the 
str:.fe  of  waters,  the  wreck  of  a  drowned  world,  and  the 
revolution  of  ages,  was  revealed  to  the  builders  of  the 
second  temple.  Once  more  the  ineffable  characters  were 
unvailed,  and  the  lost  secret  found."  "  And  God  spake 
unto  Moses,  and  said  unto  him,  I  am  the  Lord :  and  1 
appeared  unto  Abraham,  unto  Isaac,  and  unto  Jacob,  by 
the  name  of  (TTO  bi*  EL-SHADDAI,  ^-sufficient)  God  Al- 
mighty ;  but  by  my  name  (nifp  self-subsisting)  JEHOVAH 
was  I  not  known  to  them."  The  declaration  here  is,  that 
the  ineffable  and  mysterious  NAME  of  God  had  not  been 
previously  known.  It  is  true  that  the  same  word  is 
found  in  Genesis,  but  the  Book  of  Genesis  was  not  writ- 
ten until  long  after  the  foregoing  revelation  to  Moses, 
who  uses  it  in  that  book  by  way  of  anticipation,  and 
because  of  the  declaration  made  to  him  that  it  was  the 
name  by  which  God  would  afterward  be  invoked.  In  the 
communication  to  Moses  on  Mount  Horeb,  the  language 
is  rp>"i&  Ti2&  t"P?"I!a  Ahih  Askr  Ahih,  I  AM  THAT  I  AM, 
equivalent  to  saying,  What  use  is  it  to  ask  that  which  is 
inexplicable  ?  But  in  the  verse  quoted,  a  name  is  given 
which  had  not  been  known.  This  word,  which  is  ren- 
dered Jehovah,  is  the  Tetragrammaton  (word  of  four 
letters)  of  the  Hebrews.  It  is  written  with  i  yod,  ft  hc^ 
•j  vau,  ft  he:  thus,  mrp  ;  and  when  we  pronounce  it 
Jehovah,  we  follow  the  multitude,  for  we  do  not  know 
correctly  the  manner  in  which  this  name  of  God  should 
be  pronounced.  It;was  forbidden  the  Jews  to  pronounce 
this  august,  sublime  and  mysterious  word,  and  it  was 
regarded  by  them  with  the  greatest  veneration  and  fear. 
The  High  Priest  was  in  early  times  supposed  to  be  ac- 
quainted with  it,  and  he  communicated  it  to  none  but 


374  TRADITIONS  OF   FREEMASONRY. 

those  of  his  own  order  and  degree  ;  he  was  allowed  to 
pronounce  it  once  a  year,  on  the  10th  day  of  the  month 
Tisri,  the  day  of  the  great  feast  of  expiation.  During 
this  ceremony,  although  the  Higli  Priest  was  alone  and 
within  the  Holy  of  Holies,  yet  the  people  were  directed 
to  make  a  great  noise,  with  their  musical  instruments, 
etc.,  that  the  sacred  word  might  not  be  heard  by  any 
who  had  not  a  right  to  it,  for  every  other,  say  the  Tal- 
mudists,  would  have  been  incontinently  stricken  dead. 

The  word  is  termed  by  the  Hebrews,  the  Ineffable  or 
Incommunicable  Name,  the  Logos  or  Word,  and  whenever 
it  occurs  to  the  Jew  in  reading,  instead  of  attempting  to 
pronounce  it,  he  uses  the  word  Adonai  or  Elokim,  Lord, 
but  more  generally  the  former. 

The  Hebrew  language  consists  entirely  of  consonants. 
The  vowel  sounds  previous  to  the  discovery  and  adoption 
of  the  Masoretic  points  were  supplied  by  the  reader 
while  reading.  Every  Hebrew,  however,  knew,  from 
practice,  the  vocal  sounds  with  which  the  consonants 
were  pronounced  in  the  different  words,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  the  Tetragrammaton,  in  the  same  manner  that  we 
know  how  to  supply  the  omission  of  letters  in  abbrevi- 
ated words.  The  Ineffable  Word  consists  of  four  letters, 
IHVH  or  YHVH,  neither  in  ours  or  in  the  Hebrew 
language  can  these  letters  be  pronounced  unless  at  least 
two  vowels  are  supplied,  and  as  this  name  of  God,  of 
which  these  letters  are  the  symbols,  was  never  uttered 
except  by  the  High  Priest,  as  before  noted,  the  implied 
vowels  were  unknown  to"  the  people,  and  thus  in  time  the 
true  pronunciation  was  entirely  lost. 

Of  the  different  names  of  God  used  in  the  Scriptures, 
St.  Jerome  notices  ten — EEL,  ELOHIM,  ELOHE,  SABBAOTH 
HELTON,  EHEIE,  AJ*ONAI,  SHADDAI,  JAH  and  JEHOVAH. 


COINCIDENCES   WITH  THE  MYSTERIES.  375 

"The  Jews,"  says  Calmet,  "  believed  the  name  of  God  to 
include  all  things.  He  who  pronounced  it,  say  they, 
shakes  heaven  and  earth,  and  inspires  the  very  angels 
with  astonishment  and  terror.  It  governs  the  world  by 
its  power.  The  other  names  and  surnames  of  Deity  are 
ranged  about  it,  like  officers  and  soldiers  about  their 
sovereigns  and  general ;  from  this  King-name  they  re- 
ceive their  orders  and  obey."  Much  time  and  labor 
have  been  devoted  by  learned  men  in  researches  to  dis- 
cover the  meaning  of  the  true  Name,  and  great  ingenuity 
exercised  in  the  vain  endeavor  to  ascertain  its  true  pro- 
nunciation. Among  those  given  are  :  Jah,  Jaoth,  Jave, 
Javo,  Jaou,  Jabe,  Jaod,  Jehevah,  Jeva,  Jevah,  Jodjod, 
Johe,  Jova,  etc. 

The  Tetragrammaton  is  the  highest  or  most  sacred 
name  of  God,  and  the  Hebrew  doctors  have  ever  enter- 
tained a  high  opinion  of  its  efficacy,  supposing  that  mira- 
cles could  be  performed  by  its  use.  They  attribute  all 
the  miracles  of  Moses  to  the  power  of  this  word,  which 
they  say  was  engraved  upon  his  rod.  All  the  super- 
natural occurrences  named  in  the  Scriptures,  they  at- 
tribute to  the  use  and  power  of  this  mysterious  word. 
The  Rabbii  account  for  the  miracles  of  the  Saviour  by 
saying  that  he  entered  the  Sanctum  Sanctorum,  where 
the  word  was  kept  engraved  upon  the  cubical  stone,  and 
stole  it  out ! 

The  Hebrew  word  comprehends  a  Being  that  never 
could  not  have  existed — the  past,  the  present  and  the 
future — a  sphere  whose  centre  is  everywhere  and  whose 
circumference  is  nowhere — a  Being  that  always,  without 
beginning,  comprehended  in  Himself  all  that  is  or  is  to 
be.  The  Cabalists  have  exhausted  their  ingenuity  and 
imagination  in  speculations  on  this  sacred  name.  A«- 


376  TRADITIONS  OP  FREEMASONRY. 

cording  to  them  each  letter  of  the  Tetragrammaton  had 
a  mysterious  power  and  hidden  meaning,  while  the  whole 
name  contains  that  which  is  incomprehensible  to  man — • 
the  mystery  of  God. 

The  words  quoted  by  St.  John,  "  In  the  beginning  was 
the  word,  and  the  word  was  with  God,  and  the  word  was 
GOD,"  contain  a  deeper  meaning  than  is  generally  attrib- 
uted to  them. 

Yet  man,  though  ignorant  of  the  composition  of  the 
dust  on  which  lie  treads,  has  ventured  and  still  ventures 
to  speculate  on  the  nature  of  God,  and  to  define  dogmat- 
ically in  creeds  the  subject  least  within  the  compass  of 
his  faculties,  and  even  to  hate  and  persecute  those  who 
will  not  accept  his  views  as  true. 

The  Hebrews  were  not  peculiar  in  refraining  from  the 
pronunciation  of  the  mysterious  name  of  the  Being  they 
worshiped.  Theologians  and  others  tell  us  that  the 
ancients  worshiped  a  multitude  of  gods  ;  such  ideas  have 
apparently  grown  out  of  the  fact  that  the  ancients  never 
spoke  the  name  of  God,  having  a  greater  veneration  for 
the  Almighty  Power  than  has  characterized  the  more 
recent  ages.  Their  prayers  and  sacrifices  appear  to 
have  been  offered  to  some  of  the  emanations  of  God,  a 
kind  of  Mediator  between  them  and  the  Deity,  who  they 
dare  not  name. 

The  initiates  of  the  great  Egyptian  mysteries,  before 
the  time  of  Jacob,  regarded  the  word  Isis  as  sacred  and 
incommunicable,  and  paid  the  same  veneration  to  it  that 
the  Hebrews  did  to  the  Tetragrammaton  in  after  times. 
The  Persians  regarded  the  ffonover,  or  H.  0.  M.,  as 
sacred,  and  supposed  it  to  be  pregnant  with  mysterious 
power,  and  they  taught  that  by  its  utterance  the  universe 
was  created.  Zoroaster  said  it  was  ineffable.  The  Hin- 


COINCIDENCES  WITH  THE  MYSTERIES.  377 

doos  held  the  sacred  name  Om,  or  A.  0.  M.,  in  the  same 
veneration.  The  characters  expressing  it  was  intrusted 
only  to  the  initiates  of  the  mysteries,  and  it  was  forbid- 
den them  to  speak  it.  The  name  of  the  great  god  Hu 
of  the  Druids  was  ineffable  ;  they  used  the  characters  I. 
0.  W.  to  express  it.  The  Mohammedans  attach  the  most 
wonderful  properties  to  the  knowledge  of  the  sacred 
name  ;  they  say  that  it  discovers  what  passes  in  foreign 
countries ;  that  it  familiarizes  the  possessor  with  the 
genii  who  are  at  their  command  and  who  instruct  them. 

Nor  was  the  idea  of  an  ineffable  word  confined  to  the 
nations  of  the  Old  World.  The  name  of  the  Mexican 
God,  V'itzputzli,  was  deemed  ineffable.  The  Peruvians 
worshiped  a  God  called  Paca-camac,  a  name  so  venerable 
that  those  who  were  intrusted  with  it  were  bound  by 
solemn  oaths  never  to  expose  it  to  profanation. 

Among  the  various  words  used  by  different  nations  to 
express  the  id.ea  of  Deity  or  some  of  his  attributes,  three 
claim  the  attention  of  Royal  Arch  Masons  from  their 
connection  with  the  received  rituals. 

JAH,  or  Yah,  is  a  Chaldean  word,  and  signifies  lam  • 
it  is  also  a  Hebrew  word  (Psalm  Ixviii.  4),  which  signifies 
I  shall  be,  thus  wonderfully  referring  to  the  present  and 
future  existence  of  God.  It  also  denotes  the  incompre- 
hensible majesty  of  the  Omnipotent. 

Hoi  is  an  Assyrian  word,  and  signifies  Lord  or  power- 
ful ;  it  is  also  a  compound  word,  being  composed  of  the 
preposition  beth,  which  in  all  Oriental  languages  signifies 
in  or  on,  which  implies  Heaven  or  on  High,  so  that  the 
proper  import  of  the  word  will  be,  Lord  in  Heaven  or  on 
High. 

YAH  is  an  Egyptian  word,  and  signifies  Father  of  all; 
it  is  also  a  Hebrew  word,  which  signifies  strength,  power, 


378  TRADITIONS   OF   FREEMASONRY. 

an  expression  of  the  omnipotence  of  the  Father  of  all. 
Collecting  the  significations  of  this  tri-lingual  word,  we 
have,  /  am  and  I  shall  be  Lord  in  Heaven  or  on  High.  TJie 
Father  of  att.  Bel  or  Baal,  representative  or  personifica- 
tion of  the  sun,  was  one  of  the  three  great  gods  of  As- 
syria and  Chaldea ;  his  name  is  found  upon  the  monu- 
ments of  Nimroud,  and  frequently  occurs  in  the  Scrip- 
tures. He  was  the  great  Nature-God  of  Babylonia,  the 
power  of  heat,  life  and  generation.  The  word  Baal 
signifies  Lord,  Master  or  Possessor. 

On,  or  Om,  was  one  of  the  deities  of  the  Egyptians  ; 
the  word  signifies  the  sun.  His  temple  was  at  Heliopo- 
lis,  in  Lower  Egypt.  Lun  is  a  corruption  of  this  word, 
as  Bull  is  of  Bel. 

The  necessity  for  the  introduction  of  a  remembrance 
of  the  sun-worship  of  the  Assyrians  and  Egyptians  in 
the  rituals  of  this  degree  is  not  apparent,  and  the  rea- 
sons assigned  for  so  doing  are  any  thing  but  satisfactory ; 
with  equal  propriety  the  name  Vitzputzli,  Bacchus,  Jupi- 
ter, Vishnu,  or  either  of  the  other  names  found  in  the 
ancient  mythology  might  be  incorporated  in  them.  If  a 
tri-lingual  word  is  required,  where  is  there  one  more 
appropriate  than  that  used  by  Masons  hundreds  of  years 
ago,  and  which  has  the  authority  of  God  for  its  use  ? 

The  true  Logos  or  Word  of  a  Mason  is  to  be  found  in 
the  concealed  and  profound  meaning  of  the  Ineffable 
Name  communicated  by  God  to  Moses,  the  name  that 
implies  the  self-sufficient  power  of  the  Omnipotent,  and 
that  denotes  with  peculiar  and  wonderful  accuracy  the 
eternal,  unchanged  and  unchangeable  existence  of  the 
Almighty,  who  was,  who  is,  and  who  will  be  the  same 
great  and  living  God,  above  and  to  the  exclusion  of  all 
others.  The  true  pronunciation  of  that  name  was  in 


COINCIDENCES  WITH  THE  MYSTERIES.  379 

truth  secret,  in  which,  however,  was  involved  the  far 
more  profound  secret  of  its  meaning.  In  that  meaning 
is  included  all  the  truth  that  can  be  known  by  us  regard- 
ing the  nature  of  God. 

The  Golden  Candlestick  with  its  seven  burning  and 
shining  lights,  both  in  the  tabernacle  and  temple,  was  an 
ordinance  of  the  Deity  to  keep  alive  in  the  minds  of  His 
people  the  various  manifestations  of  His  divine  person 
and  will  in  the  patriarchal  ages.  Fire  and  light  were 
the  uniform  tokens  of  His  appearance,  sometimes  shining 
with  a  mild  and  gentle  radiance,  like  the  inferior  lumi- 
naries of  the  Mason's  Lodge,  and  at  others,  flaming  fiercely 
amid  clouds  and  darkness  and  thunderings  and  noise. 

The  Equilateral  Triangle  —  the  trowel  of  the  third 
degree  —  the  most  perfect  of  geometrical  figures,  was  a 
universal  symbol  of  Deity  among  the  ancient  nations. 
It  was  greatly  revered  as  containing  the  greatest  and 
most  abstruse  mysteries.  If  an  obligation  of  more  than 
usual  sanctity  was  to  be  taken,  it  was  by  the  Pythago- 
reans administered  within  a  triangle,  and  it  was  said 
none  taken  in  that  form  had  been  violated.  As  the  sides  ' 
of  the  triangle  were  of  equal  length,  it  symbolized  time 
with  Deity ;  that  with  Him  the  past,  the  present,  and 
future,  were  exactly  the  same.  By  some  it  was  em- 
ployed as  a  symbol  of  the  Triune  God.  The  doctrine 
of  the  Trinity  was  not  original  with  the  Christian  dis- 
pensation, for  it  is  found  in  the  writings  ascribed  to 
Confucius.  Zoroaster,  Pytkagoras,  etc.,  and  was  one  of 
the  secrets  of  the  ancient  mysteries.  The  triangle,  by 
many  of  the  ancients,  was  worn  as  a  talisman  against 
evil  spirits  and  to  insure  good  luck. 

Tradition  says  that  the  jewel  of  the  Chief  Architect 
of  the  first  temple,  and  which  he  constantly  wore  upoa. 


380  TRADITIONS  OF  FREEMASONRY. 

his  breast  concealed  beneath  his  clothing,  was  a  triangle, 
in  the  centre  of  which  was  engraved  the  Tetragrammaton, 
and  that  he  wore  it  thus  that  profane  eyes  might  not 
behold  the  sacred  name  and  for  the  safety  of  the  jewel. 

A  double  triangle,  inclosed  within  a  circle,  having  a 
i  yod  in  the  centre,  was  said  to  be  the  seal  of  Solomon, 
and  also  of  Zerubbabel.  That  of  Pythagoras  was  the 
same,  except  that  it  had  the  tetractys  in  the  centre,  ten 
yods  instead  of  one.  Mohammedan  tradition  says,  that 
by  virtue  of  this  seal,  Solomon  compelled  the  genii  to  obey 
him,  and  that  the  temple  and  other  magnificent  works 
were  built  by  them. 

It  has  been  remarked  that  the  dogma  of  the  Trinity 
was  known  to  the  ancients  and  taught  in  the  mysteries  ; 
among  the  Hindoos  this  was  represented  by  the  letters 
A.  0.  M.  The  Assyrians  used  the  name  Bel,  or  Baal, 
three  times  as  an  expression  of  the  dogma,  and  the 
Hebrews  used  the  word  Yah,  or  Jah,  in  the  same  manner 
and  for  the  same  purpose  •  combining  these  words  we 
find  a  remarkable  coincidence  which  only  Masons  can 
understand  : 

rp  Yah  Bel  A. 
fp  Yah  Bel  0. 
IT  Yah  Bel  M. 


The  most  obvious  methods  of  instruction  to  the  ancient 
mind  was  by  the  use  of  symbols,  for,  like  Nature  herself, 
they  addressed  the  understanding  through  the  eye,  and 
the  most  ancient  expressions  of  religious  knowledge  sig- 
nify ocular  exhibition.  The  first  teachers  of  mankind 
borrowed  this  method  of  instruction,  and  it  comprised 
an  endless  store  of  pregnant  hieroglyphics.  Another, 
and  perhaps,  after  idea  in  the  use  of  symbols,  was  to  con- 


COINCIDENCES  WITH  THE   MYSTERIES.  381 

ceal  from  the  uninitiated  a  knowledge  of  the  speculations 
which  formed  the  arcana  of  the  sacred  mysteries.  With 
that  view  symbols  were  invented  with  an  exoteric  mean- 
ing for  the  profane,  and  an  esoteric  and  more  profound 
meaning  for  the  initiate.  Sometimes  a  third  meaning 
was  assigned  and  was  only  intrusted  to  the  very  select 
few  ;  with  several  of  the  symbols  this  latter  meaning  has 
not  come  down  to  us.  The  Triple  Tau,  or  Tau  Cross, 
is  one  of  that  class. 

The  Cross  is  one  of  the  most  ancient  symbols  used.  It 
is  found  in  the  ruins  of  Nimroud,  India,  Egypt  and  Mex- 
ico. In  every  system  of  the  mysteries  cultivated  by  the 
ancients  this  symbol  in  some  one  of  its  multiplicity  of 
forms  was  used.  In  the  earliest  tracing-board  of  the 
Holy  Royal  Arch,  we  find  the  Triple  Tau,  or  Triple 
Cross,  which  are  synonymous,  and  it  is  still  the  prominent 
symbol  where  that  degree  is  cultivated.  "  It  is  formed 
by  three  crosses  of  St.  Anthony  meeting  in  a  point.  The 
figure  forms  two  right  angles  on  each  of  the  exterior  lines, 
and  another  at  their  centre  by  their  union,  for  the  three 
angles  of  each  triangle  are  equal  to  two  right  angles. 
This,  being  triplified,  illustrates  the  jewel  of  the  order 
(Holy  Royal  Arch),  which,  by  its  intersection,  forms  a 
given  number  of  angles,  which  may  be  taken  in  five 
several  combinations ;  and  these  being  reduced,  the 
amount  in  right  angles  will  be  found  equal  to  the  five 
Platonic  bodies  which  represent  the  four  elements  and 
spheres  of  the  universe." 

The  ritual  of  the  Holy  Royal  Arch  says,  "  As  Masonry 
is  the  science  of  sciences — because  it  comprehends  all 
others — so  this  emblem  may  be  styled  the  emblem  of 
emblems,  for  it  is  the  grand  emblem  of  Royal  Arch 
Masonry." 


382  TRADITIONS  OF  FREEMASONRY. 

Tradition  says  that  this  figure  was  stamped  upon  the 
forehead  of  Cain,  and  was  placed  upon  the  lintel  of  the 
dwellings  of  the  Hebrews  when  the  angel  slew  the  first- 
born of  the  Egyptians,  and  thus  has  been  called  the 
symbol  or  sign  of  life. 

Its  figurative  appearance  has  caused  it  to  have  several 
explanations,  and  much  ingenuity  has  been  expended 
in  speculations  on  its  origin  and  esoteric  meaning  as  a 
symbol.  Some  affirm  it  to  be  a  monogram  of  Hiram 
king  of  Tyre;  others  consider  it  was  adopted  in  some 
very  early  age  of  the  Christian  Church  as  a  hierogram  of 
the  great  I  AM  ;  while  others  conceive  its  figurative  sig- 
nification to  be  T.  H.,  viz.,  Templum  Hierosolyma,  the 
Temple  of  Jerusalem,  and  is  used  as  the  Royal  Arch 
badge,  by  which  the  wearer  acknowledges  himself  a  ser- 
vant of  the  true  God,  who  had  thereby  established  His 
worship,  and  for  whose  service,  that  glorious  temple  was 
erected. 

It  is  holden  to  signify  clavis  ad  thesaurum,  a  key  to 
the  treasury ;  and  theca  ubi  res  pretiosa  depositur,  a 
place  where  a  precious  thing  is  concealed  or  deposited  ; 
or  res  ipsa  pretiosa,  the  precious  thing  itself.  Hence  it 
is  argued  there  is  the  greatest  reason  to  believe  that 
what  was  there  concealed  was  the  sacred  Name  itself. 
The  Triple  Tau  was  a  mystery  long  before  its  appear- 
ance in  the  heavens  astonished  Constantine,  and  so  it 
remains ;  but  that  it  is  connected  in  some  mysterious  way 
with  the  Ineffable  Name  is  evident. 

An  American  masonic  author  of  high  repute  says,  as 
a  reason  for  its  use  as  a  symbol,  "  We  may  suppose  the 
Triple  Tau  to  be  used  in  the  Royal  Arch  degree  as  a 
mark,  designating  and  separating  those  who  know  and 
worship  the  true  name  of  God,  from  those  who  are  igno- 


COINCIDENCES  WITH   THE   MYSTERIES.  383 

rant  of  that  august  mystery."  The  explanation  is  ingen- 
ious, but  the  difficulty  lies  in  the  fact  that  we  do  not  know 
the  true  name  of  God,  that  is  a  mystery,  and  the  mystery 
of  mystery,  bearing  in  mind,  "  and  the  word  was  God." 

May  it  not  have  had  allusion  to  the  five  grand  signs 
of  the  Holy  Royal  Arch,  and  which  compose  their  five 
points  of  fellowship  ?  because,  as  the  latter  points  out 
our  relative  duty  to  each  other  as  the  children  of  the 
same  Almighty  parent,  so  do  the  former  mark  in  a  pe- 
culiar manner  our  duty  to  the  Almighty  as  the  offend- 
ing creatures  of  His  power,  and  the  adoptive  creatures 
of  His  mercy. 

The  five  grand  signs  are  sometimes  thus  explained : 
The  first  parents  of  mankind,  formed  in  the  utmost  per- 
fection, both  of  body  and  mind,  seated  in  a  paradise  of 
pleasure,  bounteously  supplied  with  means  for  the  grati- 
fication of  every  appetite,  and  at  full  liberty  for  enjoy- 
ment to  the  end  of  time  itself,  with  only  one  prohibition 
whereon  should  depend  their  immortality,  soon  became 
disobedient,  and  thereby  obnoxious  to  sin,  misery  and 
death.  To  preserve  us  from  which,  and  as  a  memento 
to  guard  us  from  like  errror,  the  penal  sign  was  adopted. 

Scarcely  had  our  first  parents  transgressed,  conscious 
of  their  crime,  and  filled  with  shame  and  horror,  they 
endeavored  to  hide  themselves  from  the  presence  of  that 
Being  in  whom  before  had  been  their  chief  delight ;  but 
hearing  the  summons  of  His  awful  voice,  and  unable  to 
bear  the  splendor  of  His  appearance,  in  an  humble,  bending 
position,  they  approached  with  awe  and  palpitation  of 

heart,  their  right-hand for  support,  and  their 

left as  a  shield  against  the  radiant  glory,  and 

hence  arose  the  reverential  sign,  or  sign  of  salute. 

It  was  now  they  heard  the  dreadful  sentence,  that  the 


384  TRADITIONS  OF  FREEMASONRY. 

ground,  for  their  sakes  accursed,  should  no  longer  pour 
forth  in  such  abundance,  but  themselves  be  driven  from 
that  happy  region  to  some  less  friendly  climate,  there  to 
cultivate  the  soil  and  to  earn  their  daily  food  by  sweat 
and  labor.  Now,  banished  from  the  presence  of  their 
God,  and  impelled  by  the  wants  and  calls  of  nature  to 
constant  toil  and  care,  they  became  more  fully  sensible 
of  their  crime,  and  with  true  contrition  of  heart,  they 

with implored  forgiveness  ;  and  hence  arose  the 

penitential  or  supplicatory  sign,  or  sign  of  sorrow. 

Now,  fervent  prayer,  the  grand  restorer  of  true  peace 
of  mind  and  only  balm  to  heal  a  wounded  conscience, 
first  raised  a  gleam  of  hope  and  encouraged  them  to 
pursue  their  daily  task  with  greater  cheerfulness  ;  but, 
seized  with  weariness  and  pain,  the  sure  effects  of  con- 
stant toil  and  labor,  they  were  forced  to  lay  their  right 
and  their  left  ....  and  thus  arose  the  moni- 
torial sign,  or  sign  of  admonition. 

Now,  their  minds  being  more  calm,  their  toil  seemed 

less  severe  and  cheered  by  bright-eyed  Hope,  with 

hands  and they  clearly  saw  redemption  drawing 

on,  and  hence  arose  the  last  sign,  i\\Q  fiducial  or  sign  of 
Faith  and  Hope. 


THE  END. 


POPULAR  WORKS  ON  FREEMASONRY 

PUBLISHED  UY  THE 

MASONIC  PUBLISHING  AND  MANUFACTURING  CO. 

432  BROOME  SfREET,  N.  Y. 


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A  CYCLOPEDIA  OP  FREEMASON  AY;  containing  Definitions  of 

the  Technical  Terms  used  by  the  Fraternity.  With  an  account  of  the 
rise  and  progress  of  Freemasonry  and  its  Kindred  Associations— an- 
cient and  modern  :  embracing  OLIVER'S  DICTIONARY  OP  SYMBOLICAL 
MASONRY.  Edited  by  ROBERT  MACOY,  33d.  Illustrated  with  numer- 
ou»  Engravings.  Cloth,  gilt  Bide,  $4  00 

GUIDE  TO  THE  ROYAL  ARCH  CHAPTER  ;  a  complete  Monitor 

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according  to  the  text  or  the  Manual  of  the  Chapter.  By  JOHN 
SUEVILLE,  P.  G.  H.  P.,  of  New  Jersey,  and  JAS.  L.  GOULD,  D.  G. 
H.  P.,  of  Connecticut.  Together  with  a  Historical  Introduction, 
Explanatory  Notes,  and  Critical  Emendations.  To  which  are  added 
Monitorial  instructions  in  the  Holy  Order  of  High-Priesthood  in  Royal 
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THE  MASONIC  HARMONIA  ;  a  Collection  of  Music,  Original 

and  Selected,  for  the  use  of  the  Masonic  Fraternity.  By  HENRY 
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THE  GENERAL  AHIMAW  REZON  AND  FREEMASON'S  GUIDE, 

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Grand  Visitations,  Burial  Services,  Reguhtions  for  Processions,  Ma- 
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SORROW  and  the  Ceremonies  of  Consecrating  Masonic  Cemeteries ; 
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WASHINGTON  AND  HIS  MASONIC  COMPEERS.     By  SIDNEY 

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THE  LIGHTS  AND  SHADOWS  OF  FREEMASONRY  ;  consisting  of 

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THE  USE  AND  ABUSE  OF  FREEMASONRY.    A  work  of  the 

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THE  HISTORY  OF  INITIATION,  in  Twelve  Lectures,  comprising 

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